


The Journey

by roryheadmav



Series: Roadtrip Variations [2]
Category: Actor RPF, British Actor RPF, Tomki - Fandom, frostpudding - Fandom
Genre: Frostpudding, M/M, Tomki, commission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-09
Updated: 2014-06-09
Packaged: 2018-02-04 01:54:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 27,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1762321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roryheadmav/pseuds/roryheadmav
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Commission by Snakecharmed79 based on her prompt and art by Marty-Mc. The second and final story in the "Roadtrip Variations" series. Tom meets a mysterious biker who takes him on a mysterious roadtrip through the Philippines.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Journey

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Snakecharmed79](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snakecharmed79/gifts).



**THE JOURNEY**

**Copyright June 10, 2014 by Rory**

 

 

**PART ONE**

 

_The ground beneath him gave a sudden lurch, causing his motorcycle to wobble precariously. For a moment, he was gripped by fear. His good friend Bernardo had warned him that re-opening Luzon's ancient pathways at their main intersecting point in the Sierra Madre Mountains in Montalban might trigger a cataclysm. To his relief, the earth stopped shaking just as abruptly as it had begun. In his mind's eye, he could visualize Bernardo Carpio keeping the ancient paths between two clashing mountains open by his powerful strength alone, arms and legs pushing the towering rocks back, much like the mighty hero of the Israelites, Samson._

_"Thank you, my friend," he sent his gratitude to Bernardo through the power of his magic. "Just give me a week and no more. Whether you hear from me or not, close the gap."_

_He could not help but smile when he received a strained but cheerful answer of "Good luck" as he emerged into his destination in Mountain Province._

_It has been centuries since he had last come to this place. Despite the paved roads and the modern houses and establishments which were once grass and dirt trails and trees, Mother Nature still held prominence in Sagada. But it was not the town proper that he was heading for. What need has he for the trappings of modern life when what he sought lay in the old ways of the Igorots?_

_Instead, he wheeled his Honda through lesser known paths, meandering trails known only by the ancient gods of the tribes and which only the elders were allowed to walk through. As he roared along, he glanced at the cliffs to his left side and at the hanging coffins that have withstood both time and weather, a grim reminder that Death as much as life was ever constant. The sight of those coffins chilled his blood. He knew he was at risk of incurring the ire of the gods by taking these paths, but his need was pressing and he hoped that he would be forgiven for the trespass._

_Sure enough, it did not take long for him to reach his destination—a small hidden Bontoc village along the bank of the Chico River. If he trained his gaze upward, he could see the magnificent rice terraces that were built along the graceful mountain slopes with small rocks piled and packed on top of each other. Absolutely breathtaking, a sight that never failed to bring tears to his world-weary heart._

_He heard the sounds of female laughter then, like the chittering of birds that rose above the din of the waterfalls which he knew were not a long way off. Yes, as he looked on from the distance, the hardworking ladies of the Bontoc emerged from the woods and were marching toward the riverbank, bearing their laundry in steel and plastic wash basins balanced perfectly on top of their heads. They were dressed in colorful woven_ tapis _, a wraparound garment that covered them from the top of their breasts to their shins. It seemed as if time had frozen still in this magical place._

_That is, until he saw the pale figure that was trudging in utter embarrassment after the women, but still struggling to maintain a brave, dignified front by walking with head held up high and wash basin with dirty clothes clutched in strong hands. He would have found it amusing to see this out-of-place stranger dressed in a tapis as well, despite the fact that he was all too obviously male._

_Instead, to his chagrin and dismay, he found his heart pounding with the strength of his brother's great hammer. Yes, he has indeed fallen in love at first sight with this gorgeous creature…_

 

 

Tom always considered himself a kind, understanding, and non-judgmental man. Whenever his friends would tell him about how they had been robbed or had someone pick their pockets, he would always say that perhaps the robber in question was in dire need or perhaps he had a family member who was sick and required hospitalization. When people do bad things, he reasoned, it was usually for a reason, a comment which had his youngest sister Emma rolling her eyes.

 

"Tom, regardless of what anyone's reason is—good or bad," Emma insisted, "they should not steal PERIOD because stealing is a BAD thing."

 

So it was that Tom found himself cursing for the thousandth time whoever it was who had stolen his wallet out of his backpack while on the way to Sagada in Mountain Province in the Philippines. While his passport remained safe and sound at the bottom of his pack, his money, credit cards, not to mention the list of important phone numbers that the British Embassy had provided him were all gone. Whatever excitement he once harbored at being able to spend a much needed hiatus from acting and the film industry had dissipated; the thought that he was stuck in a Third World country with practically no money to his name ate at his craw. To make matters worse, once he reached Sagada, the reaction that he got from the eager townspeople desperate to make a quick buck out of the tourists was humiliating to say the least. When he had told the small crowd that had gathered around him that someone had stolen his wallet and that he did not have any money, they all burst into laughter, the disbelief clear on their faces that there was actually such a thing as a "penniless tourist." But when it became all too obvious that Tom really, truly WAS penniless, they turned away with disgruntled shakes of their heads, with one even saying, _"Sayang. Cute pa naman."_ "Too bad. He's quite cute too."

 

Well, his "cuteness" did not prove helpful to him either at the Tourist Information Center. Because of the recent typhoon, landline connection was erratic so contacting the Embassy in Taguig City was close to impossible. The only option left to him was to find a way to return to Metro Manila as soon as possible. Although they were willing to take care of him at the Center, Tom did not want to become a bother to the staff, especially since he did not know for how long he would be staying. Feeling helpless and miserable, Tom left the Center, his mind a-whirl, uncertain of what he was supposed to do next.

 

It was while he was sitting at the curb that he felt the earth shake under him. Terrified, he clung to the lamp past beside him, watching as startled passersby paused to brace themselves with open legs on the pavement. Thankfully, the earthquake stopped, which only brought his mind back to something more pressing, namely his empty stomach.

 

As he was staring hungrily across the street at the fresh pineapples and strawberries that were being sold by sidewalk vendors, he was approached by a wizened Igorot—his upper body bent forward from old age—dressed in a hand-woven vest and _bahag_ or loincloth with a turban on his head. There was a cheerful smile on the old man's face, his teeth yellowed from chewing tobacco, as he nodded and waved to Tom, saying "You come, you come!"

 

"It's very kind of you, sir, but as I said, I don't have any money," Tom replied.

 

But the old man insisted, "You come, you come!"

 

Before Tom realized what he was doing, he was following the Igorot through woods and slopes that were certainly far from the "civilization" which he had just left behind. To his surprise, while he was panting for breath from the long trek, the old man moved with the spry vigor of a child, climbing over fallen trees and leaping over rocks in small creeks. Every time, he would glance back at Tom to make sure that he was following, still saying, "You come, you come!"

 

If at first he had apprehensions about following this strange little man, they all vanished instantly when he found himself right smack in the middle of a quaint village in an amphitheater of lush green rice terraces. Never had he seen such a magnificent sight in his whole life.

 

As he was staring awestruck at the rice terraces above his head, he did not notice at first the Bontoc tribesmen, women and children who emerged from their huts to gape at the stranger in their midst. One of them was a young woman dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. Cackling with laughter, the old man began speaking—with the word "poo" being said many times—and made a lot of emphatic gestures, which had the people grinning ear to ear. The woman shook her head, but her amusement was still apparent by the way her lips crinkled in a smile.

 

Noting Tom's curious stare, she approached him and said in good English, "You seem to have made quite an impression on the elder of our village. Is it true that Apo Botlogan found you sitting on the sidewalk like a lost poodle?"

 

"Poodle? Who? Me?" Tom asked aghast, pointing to himself.

 

"It's because of your blond hair. It's so curly. He said that the instant he saw you, he wanted to take you in…" A snort and a chuckle followed. "Like a stray puppy."

 

Tom grimaced, his lips forming a pout. "Maybe I shouldn't have followed him. Then again, better to be called a 'poodle' than a 'broom'. That's what my youngest sister keeps saying about my hair."

 

"Well, I'm pretty sure Apo Botlogan did not just want to adopt you because of your blond curls," the woman laughed. She stared pointedly at the pronounced bulge in his tight running shorts. "It is a known fact among us that the old man always stays true to his name."

 

"Why? What does…bot…lo..gan mean?"

 

"Believe me, you don't want to know!" She then extended her hand to him. "I'm Oway."

 

"I'm Tom," he replied, shaking her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

 

"Tom-pooo…" Apo Botlogan had sneaked up beside Tom and was tugging at his T-shirt, urging him to bend down. Tom obliged and let the old man ruffle his curly tresses. "Ehehehe."

 

Tom could not help "Ehehehe"-ing himself, feeling those gnarled fingers patting his head. It did not take long for everyone to come forward and start running their fingers through his hair as well.

 

"Looks like you're one of us now, Tom," Oway remarked with a warm smile.

 

"That's a good thing, I hope," Tom said, grinning, for once feeling happy and relieved since his pocket had been picked.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

During the next five days, while Oway went daily into Sagada to telegram her friends living in Manila who might be able to contact the British Embassy, Tom immersed himself in the simple life of the Bontoc village.

 

A very early riser by habit, Tom found that he did not have to go on his usual morning runs. The minute the tribesmen saw him emerge from the hut he shared with Oway and her grandfather, he was quickly hustled off with them to the rice terraces where they would plant rice. Tom discovered that each terrace collects water that flows down the mountain slopes, making the soil very rich and fertile for planting. Already, small rice plants were growing in the individual paddies. Every morning, they would bend down and separate the rice plants from each other and untangle their roots before dipping them back into the muddy earth so that they would grow better. It was fun, invigorating work, albeit rather backbreaking. Tom was enjoying himself, until the third day when, as he pulled out a clump of seedlings, he also yanked out a snake. Although he was assured that the snake was not poisonous, he still could not forget how everyone, particularly Apo Botlogan, laughed as he struggled to free himself of the tenacious reptile that had curled somewhat lovingly around his arm.

 

 That evening, as they were drinking rice wine, the elder chuckled something to his granddaughter, which Oway translated to him while frowning in confusion, "He said that you are destined to fall in love with a snake. Or maybe someone who likes snakes. Frankly, I don't know what he's talking about."

 

"Maybe Apo has been chewing too much of that betel and areca nuts and tobacco leaf concoction that he enjoys and it's making him high and giving him strange visions," Tom laughed, earning him a bop at the back of the head from the old man and indignant claims of "No high, no high, Tom-poo!"

 

On the fifth day, Tom discovered, to his horror, that he no longer had any clean clothes. Inquiries of a Laundromat service caused Oway to stare back at him in disbelief with both eyebrows raised. Rather than ask the village women if they could wash his clothes for him, he made the decision to do it himself.

 

It never occurred to him that Apo Botlogan would use his dilemma as an opportunity to play a mischievous prank on him. Instead, he swallowed the old man's words hook, line and sinker that doing the laundry has its rituals or else he might end up angering the goddess of the Chico River. The Apo had readily supplied him with a large wash basin or _batya_ , a box of Tide detergent, and a flat board ("You make _palo palo_ ," the elder demonstrated by hitting his T-shirt on a flat rock with the board), stuff which he had already expected, having seen the tribeswomen go about their laundry routine. What he never expected was the old man handing him a nice red and green tapis _._

 

"You must be joking," Tom said dryly, glaring at the grinning elder.

 

But Apo Botlogan thrust the garment into his hands. "Wear. _Diwata_ angry if you no wear!"

 

Tom turned to a snickering Oway. "He's pulling my leg, isn't he?"

 

"No, my grandfather is very serious," Oway replied, putting on a straight face with considerable effort. "You better put it on, Tom." The Apo quickly added something. "He says you should put on the tapis in front of him so that he is assured that you're following the ritual. Don't worry. He'll pray over you."

 

Scowling darkly, Tom reluctantly proceeded to yank his sleeveless tee up his torso and off his head, which caused delighted laughter and titters to come from everyone watching. He also kicked off his hiking boots and socks, leaving only his shorts. To his horror, the old man poked at his shorts with his staff.

 

"He says you should take off your underwear too," Oway said helpfully.

 

"You don't have to tell me that, Oway. He's making it perfectly clear," he growled, jumping as Apo Botlogan jabbed the end of his staff at his butt. **_"GIVE ME THAT!"_** Tom snarled as he snatched the tapis out of the elder's hand. Blushing hotly, he proceeded to wrap the garment around his body, tucking it in as securely as he could at his chest. He then bent down and removed both shorts and underwear, dumping all of his discarded garments together with his laundry.

 

Satisfied, the old man started dancing around Tom, blowing foul-smelling smoke from the pipe he was smoking and humming a song which he swore he had heard on the radio earlier.

 

"Okay, the ritual is done, but Grandfather said that he'll be joining you at the riverbank just in case the diwata decides to abduct you and make you her harem boy," Oway said.

 

"Now I'm definitely sure that you're bullshitting me!"

 

Before Tom could put his clothes back on and regain his dignity, he was hustled off by the laughing tribeswomen, with Apo Botlogan ambling beside him. As they made the short trek to the river, the women—with Oway serving as translator—gave him tips on washing clothes in the river while wearing a tapis, in particular, how he should tuck the garment between his legs lest a large fish or a river snake mistake his privates for a worm, advice which prompted more eye-rolling from the Brit.

 

Noticing that he was not receptive to their teasing, the women soon went on ahead, Tom lagging behind them with Apo Botlogan yapping nonsensically at his heels.

 

It did not take long before they finally reached the river. The women took their places along the bank, squatting or sitting down on boulders with practiced ease. Tom was smart enough to observe their movements, how they fixed their tapis as they sat. His cheeks burned as he arranged his own garment like a demure village maiden, plopping down sideways on a rock with his long legs bent at the knees. There were no teasing remarks after that when Tom, who was not a complete idiot when it came to hand-washing clothes, proceeded to scrub his dirty shirt with intense concentration. As a small reward for his industriousness, Oway even gave him a small basket of strawberries for his snack.

 

"Well, this is a surprise!" a suave voice suddenly declared. "The last thing I expected to find in this reclusive snake pit is a white man, a Briton even!"

 

Tom whirled at that voice, his swift movement almost loosening his tapis at his chest. He found himself starting at a tall, handsome young man about his age with sleek ebony hair, the tips of which curled upwards as they tumbled upon the shoulders of his black leather shirt. His arms were covered in tattoos of what looked like feathers, giving the impression of wings. Even the opening of his shirt revealed more tattoos on the pale skin of his torso. Swinging a long, leather clad leg up—a booted foot almost grazing a handlebar—he dismounted from his Honda. Giving the green painted chrome of the bike's gas tank a fond pat—his fingers tracing the large letter "S" which was actually a curving snake, as well as four runes which Tom could not read from afar—the stranger sauntered over to them, pulling off his sunglasses at the same time to reveal twinkling green eyes. Tom could barely hold back his gasp, seeing his face on the man, albeit harder and sterner. The wicked grin that was forming on the man's lips disappeared as soon as he got a closer look at Tom, perhaps having noticed their strong resemblance.

 

"Is that your brother, Tom?" Oway inquired in hushed tones.

 

"No, I don't have a brother," Tom said, frowning.

 

"He looks just like you. Except for his hair and green eyes, you could be twins."

 

"Hey, Apo!" the biker called out. "And where did you find this tender morsel?"

 

Apo Botlogan, who was perched on top of a rock formation, simply "teehee"-ed, clearly enjoying a joke that only he knew.

 

The biker shook his head. "Really, old man! I swear you're just as bad as me sometimes."

 

 ** _"NO! YOU WORSE!"_** the elder exclaimed, this time, bursting into hearty laughter.

 

"Hmph!" Reaching Tom, the biker sat down cross-legged beside him. "Let me give you hand. The sooner we finish, the less time you would have to put up with everyone's merciless teasing." He peeled off his gloves and tucked them inside his shirt pocket. "I'm Loki, by the way."

 

"Tom," the Brit acknowledged, shaking the biker's proffered hand. "You have no idea how relieved I am that you arrived. Apo there just wouldn't quit."

 

Loki chuckled. "Somehow, I'm not surprised. The little bastard's a pervert, you know? Then again, his name does mean that he is virile in all aspects, so he tends to measure up every man he meets by his privates."

 

"Nooo," Tom exclaimed dubiously. "Him?"

 

Apo Botlogan must have understood what they were talking about because he stood up and indignantly lifted the flap of his bahag.

 

 ** _"WHOA! That's way, way too much information!"_** Tom cried, turning his head away as well as covering his face with a suds-covered hand.

 

There were disgusted shrieks from the women as they pelted the aged deviant with pebbles.

 

"I told you," Loki said, grinning, lifting up Tom's boxers that he was scrubbing and which the Brit snatched back in embarrassment. "You should have seen him in the old days when he was much younger. He was a brave, strikingly handsome headhunter back then."

 

"You speak as if you've known him in his youth, but we look the same age."

 

"No, I meant that my grandfather knew him. He visited this place once and had a picture taken with Apo Botlogan. You should ask him to show you his collection of shrunken heads. They're quite a sight."

 

"No, thank you," Tom replied with a shudder. "Just seeing his oversized pecker and balls is enough to give me nightmares for life."

 

Loki picked up a T-shirt and proceeded to squeeze the water out. "If you don't mind my asking, Tom, just how did you get to this village? I mean, this place is not easily accessible from Sagada."

 

Tom then told the biker his tale of woe—how he was victimized by a pickpocket, getting stranded in a town without a penny to his name, culminating in the elder's invitation of food and shelter in his village.

 

"This is a beautiful place and, despite the teasing, the people have been very nice and kind to me," Tom concluded. "But, as much as I want to stay longer, I don't have any money. I need to go back to the British Embassy in Taguig, so I could make arrangements for money to be sent to me from England for a flight back home."

 

Loki thought for a moment. "I'll tell you what. I am on a sort of…roadtrip…so to speak. The route that I'm taking will bring us closer to Metro Manila. If you won't mind stopovers I need to make along the way, you could come with me. I have…some business…to attend to here in the village. If things don…" The biker shrugged, a sad smile crossing his features. "…We'll leave the first thing tomorrow before daybreak."

 

In his excitement, Tom leaped to his feet, crying out, " ** _YES!_** I would be very happy and grateful if you could take me with you!" He never noticed that Loki had unwittingly stepped on the hem of his tapis, so that the garment slipped to the ground.

 

At the sight of his pale, naked body, the women burst into delighted squeals, prompting Tom to cover his blushing form with his arms. Apo Botlogan was laughing so hard, the old man was at serious risk of popping an aneurysm. He even gave the embarrassed Englishman two approving thumbs up and a cheer of "Tom-poo, look **_GOOD!_** "

 

Tom was about to run off, but then, Loki got to his feet and wrapped the tapis around his body

 

"Thank you, Loki."

 

"No, I should thank you for the lovely view." Loki teased a blond curl between his fingertips. "You're a most beautiful creature, Tom. You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of."

 

Despite Loki's words, Tom could not help feeling abashed, as the blood filled his cheeks at that complement. Bending down demurely, he picked a big, fat, juicy strawberry from the basket at his feet, holding its stalk between his fingertips.

 

"Would you like a strawberry, Loki?" he offered.

 

Loki's answer was to lean forward, taking the strawberry between his lips and his tongue licking Tom's fingers. Tom was too startled to pull his hand back. He just stood there, with hand still raised.

 

"Tastes wonderful, Tom."

 

"Yeah, I know."

 

It never occurred to Tom to ponder if Loki was referring to the taste of the strawberry itself or the salty sweetness of his fingertips.

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

The prospect of being able to return to Metro Manila thrilled Tom so much that he could not sleep that night. Restless, he rose from his mat, stretching his arms up and over his head. Slipping on his flip flops, he went outside the hut.

 

A crescent moon was in the sky, casting a dim glow over the rice terraces. But the faint light was enough for Tom to see the shadow standing in the middle of a rice paddy with a _sulo_ or a bamboo torch in hand. He watched, with mouth agape, as the shadow nimbly jumped the rice terraces one by one, like a child skipping up stairs.

 

 _Is that…a diwata?_ Tom wondered, seeing that dark figure almost at the top of the peak.

 

Overcome by curiosity, Tom hurried after the shadow, going up the trails that the villagers had taught him. To his surprise, he found himself standing before a cave which he never knew existed. There was a light coming from inside the cave. As he inched his way toward the mouth, he heard voices speaking in English within.

 

"I'm so sorry, my friend. But I did tell you that this doorway is closed to you."

 

"Are you saying that I remain stranded here? This is most unfair!"

 

"Have you considered the possibility that there might not be anyone to open the door on the other side? These are godless times, after all. It's long over for our kind."

 

"But you still live."

 

"Only through the preservation of the rituals and traditions of the Igorots. But once they're gone, there is…nothing…left for us."

 

Tom peeked inside the cave to find a good-looking Igorot warrior in full battle regalia—war paint on his face, chest and arms, a bahag in various shades of red, and a hat with rooster feathers on top. Of the other one speaking, he could only make out a shadow.

 

"No, I won't accept it! Not a pitiful end like that!"

 

A sigh. "It's fate, my friend. And you cannot fight fate."

 

There was a moment's silence, and Tom took a step forward to listen more closely. He never saw the twig on the ground, and it broke with a sharp crack when he stepped on it.

 

Suddenly, a great wind blew from inside the cave, sending dirt and dust flying, so that it blinded Tom momentarily. He never saw the two figures that darted out of the cave together with that gust. When the wind died down, he found, lying at his foot, a small basket, its humble offering of strawberries spilling out.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

It was not yet sunrise when Loki woke Tom up to say that they were leaving within the hour. Tom gathered his dried clothes from the washing lines and packed them inside his bag. As he was securing his backpack at the rear end of Loki's bike, the people of the village, led by Apo Botlogan and Oway, emerged from their huts to bid them farewell.

 

When Oway gave him a small hamper filled with food and fruits, Tom said, "You didn't have to go through all this trouble."

 

"As I told you when we first met, you are now one of us, Tom." Oway placed a necklace of colorful beads and bones around his neck. "We shall miss you."

 

"And I shall miss you all. These past days…it seemed like a wonderful dream."

 

With a sob, Apo Botlogan rushed forward and embraced Tom's waist.

 

"I'll miss you most of all, Apo," Tom said sincerely, despite the fact that, true to his mischievous nature, the old man was rubbing his hand briskly over the Brit's buttocks.

 

Pulling away, Apo Botlogan nodded at Loki, who was already seated on the bike. "Him…you take care." He drew circles over his right temple as he pointed to the biker.

 

"I saw that, you old pervert!" Loki growled.

 

Getting on behind Loki, Tom was able to call out a heartfelt farewell and wave as the biker kickstarted his Honda. He barely heard the Bontocs' goodbyes as the motorcycle roared off.

 

If Tom had only glanced back, he would have seen Apo Botlogan, Oway and the other villagers surrounded by an unearthly green aura. As soon as the two men entered the woods, the village and its gentle inhabitants vanished, leaving behind long neglected rice terraces filled with muddy earth and weeds instead of light green rice stalks swaying in the early morning breeze.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

**PART TWO**

 

_There was an amused smile on his face as he secured the portable jackhammer to the back of his bike. How a man could easily fall asleep on a motorcycle was something he could not fathom. It was amazing to say the least that Tom hadn't fallen off at all. But then again, Tom probably hadn't realized that, throughout their ride along the highway, his arms had wrapped tightly around his new friend's waist._

_Ah, yes… When the instinct for self-preservation kicked in, a human would always find himself doing something that would prove embarrassing to him later on._

_He had not chided Tom then about having his arms around his waist. In fact, he rather enjoyed the warmth that exuded from this exuberant, bubbly mortal. He certainly was not about to say anything now. When he arrived at the gates of what was once the complex of the Philippine National Oil Company's Mt. Pinatubo Geothermal Project, he had managed to disentangle himself from Tom's embrace, taken his backpack and set it before him, so that he had something at least to lean on. Instead, Tom had plunked his whole torso on top of his pack, causing his taut butt to be thrust upward in its tight shorts._

_For a moment, the temptation was there to run his palm over that ass. He had actually raised his right hand. But he caught himself just in time before his fingers could touch. With much regret, he withdrew his hand and headed off in search for the tool shed to see if there was anything he could salvage. Great was his chagrin when he returned with portable jackhammer in tow with Tom still in the same position that he had left him._

 

Oh, for Odin's sake! Is this some kind of test? _He thought miserably. If Tom's entrance into his life was a test of sorts, he probably earned his first failing mark when he had surreptitiously stepped on the mortal's tapis back at the Bontoc_ anito _village. Then again, if that incident was a point against him, frankly, he definitely had no regrets. Tom's beautiful body was a feast for his lonely eyes. If it were still possible, if his magic was still at full strength, he would have carved that image for posterity on marble._

_He tilted his head sideways to peer at the sleeping mortal._ Just what is it about you that tugs at my heart? _He felt his long-neglected cock make a forlorn twitch._ Behave! I said 'heart', not you!

 

_Sighing in resignation, he reached out his hand, but not to caress that alluring ass. Instead, he squeezed Tom's shoulder and gently shook him, saying…_

 

 

"Tom? Tom? Hey! Wake up! We're about to hit a long, bumpy stretch of land and I don't want you falling off."

 

It took a little more time for Tom to rouse from sleep. The first thing that registered to him was that he was holding on to something bulky and lumpy, not a trim, slender waist. It was uncomfortable and warm from the summer weather. His road companion, for some strange reason, has cool—no, cold—skin. Abnormal as it was, Tom ultimately succumbed to the heat, not the potential hazard of getting thrown off the motorcycle, and wrapped his arms around Loki's waist. Suffice to say, it was like hugging an air conditioner, which had him purring in bliss.

 

It was that memory of his cuddling up to Loki which woke Tom up in a flash. He squinched his eyes through the bright sunlight, which was already high up in the sky, even if it was only 6:30 am. Gingerly, he sat up, wincing at the pain in his lower back from being bent over so long, only to pause at the grin that Loki was struggling in vain to contain. Tom realized then that his shorts had hiked up at his position, revealing a hint of a curve of a pale butt. Given the tightness of the material, he was sure that the garment had clung to his behind.

 

"Sorry," Tom mumbled, blushing, as he yanked the hem of his T-shirt down over his ass.

 

"I'm not," Loki replied simply with an amused smirk. "How about moving your pack behind you again so I could get on? I had to put it in front of you so you could sleep."

 

"You should've just waked me up earlier, Loki," Tom said, lifting his pack and thumping it on the space at his back. "Now I'm embarrassed. Since you've been so kind to take me along, the least I could do is to take turns with you on the bike."

 

"Unfortunately, you don't know the roads as I do. It's alright. I'm more resilient than you think. I've been on the road many times and I'm accustomed to this mode of travel.

 

Just as he was strapping his backpack, Tom noticed the portable jackhammer. "Why do you have a jackhammer? And where did you get it?"

 

"When Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991, this particular Philippine National Oil Corporation geothermal complex was abandoned," Loki explained as he went over to make sure that Tom's pack, the food hamper, and his jackhammer were secured tightly. "They never reopened this site; neither did they salvage whatever equipment may have been left behind, thinking they were damaged in the pyroclastic flows. As for this…" He patted the jackhammer. "I need it to wake someone up."

 

That last statement only made Tom curious, but he never got the chance to ask the identity of the poor individual Loki intended to wake up with a noisy piece of construction equipment because the biker took his seat in front of him and kickstarted the Honda to life.

 

Instead, Tom trained his gaze toward the gray, dusty expanse of open field before them with cliffs on either side, stretching toward the dormant volcano in the distance. Somehow, the bleak landscape reminded him so much of pictures he had seen of the lunar surface. There were even a few small craters.

 

"Where are we anyway?" he inquired.

 

"We're about to enter Crow Valley. This is the fastest route to Mt. Pinatubo—a one-hour ride through terrain used by the Philippine military for their training exercises, sometimes with American troops. While I'm pretty sure there won't be any tactical maneuvers being practiced here today, I don't want us waltzing through gunfire or mortar explosions. I won't lie to you though. It's going to be one hell of a bumpy ride. If I were you, I'd do your 'business' now while we're still here rather than go for a toilet break in a wide open field."

 

That warning was enough for Tom to swing his long legs off the bike and jog behind a decrepit shed to empty his bladder.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

They were twenty minutes into Crow Valley when Loki wheeled his bike to a sudden halt. The biker even bent his upper body over the handle bars, shaking. For a moment, Tom thought that Loki was in pain.

 

"Loki, is something wrong?" Tom asked, laying a hand over the biker's back. "Are you okay?"

 

It was when he tried to peer over the biker's shoulder that he realized that Loki was actually giggling, his tears of mirth streaming down his face.

 

"Tom?" Loki began in between suppressed chuckles. "Just **_what_** were you doing?"

 

"Eh?" Tom thought for a long while, wondering what he did prior to Loki's stopping the bike. Realization suddenly dawned upon him. "Oh! You mean…I was humming."

 

"Yes, I know you were humming. But **_what_** were you humming?"

 

"Rimsky-Korsakov's _Flight of the Bumblebee_. Seeing that we were bouncing and vibrating along this road, I figured I could be able to hum it with a great sort of buzzing quality."

 

"Well, don't do it! If it is at all possible for a bumblebee to sound out of tune, you did a marvelous job at it. Besides, I don't recommend you making noise of any kind lest you bite your tongue."

 

"Hmph! My humming was not that bad."

 

"Just keep…quiet, okay? I want to avoid any sort of mishap while we're still here in Crow Valley."

 

**_"HMPH!"_ **

 

"I'll take that as a yes," Loki remarked, laughing, as they went on their way.

 

Ever restless, however, Tom found himself humming again, this time, Wagner's _Ride of the Valkyries_ , deteriorating into full blown, raucous singing.

 

"Tom," Loki began growling, as Tom started waving his hands wildly like a demented orchestra conductor, "I'm warning you."

 

Then, there was silence, and all that could be heard was the rumbling engine of the Honda and the grating wheels over dirt and rocks. As much as Loki found the abrupt quiet refreshing, he could not resist asking the young man behind him, "Hey, Tom! Are you okay back there? You…you didn't fall off, right?"

 

"I bith ma thongue," was the sullen reply that the Brit gave him.

 

" ** _HAHAHAHAHA!_** I did warn you after all, but you wouldn't listen…" In his glee, Loki never saw the rock jutting out from the ground. As the bike wheeled over it hard, the sudden jerk caused his jaw to snap upward. " ** _ODINTH THITS!_** Now I bith ma thongue thoo!"

 

"Therves you righth!" Tom said, feeling utterly vindicated.

 

Rather than embarrass themselves all over again, they rode the rest of the distance to the volcano in silence. Very soon, they reached the base of Mt. Pinatubo. Tom was in raptures, training his gaze upward toward the crater rim above his head. Along the side, there was a small trail leading to the top.

 

Taking his camera out of his pack, Tom thrust it into a startled Loki's hands. As the biker looked on in bewilderment, the Brit untied the jackhammer from the back of the Honda and started fiddling with it and his bag. Because Tom's back was turned to him, he could not see what the other man was doing.

 

"I've been dying to do this as we were crossing Crow Valley," Tom began in explanation. "Now is as good a time as any."

 

Loki almost choked when Tom lifted the heavy jackhammer in his right hand, a pair of wrinkled shorts fluttering pathetically from the drill bit like a flag.

 

"One small step for man…" Tom declared proudly, as he took a single step forward in exaggerated slow motion on the ash and dirt covered ground, "…A giant leap for mankind." He even flashed the peace sign, a wide grin on his handsome face. Seeing the biker just gaping back at him, he urged, "What are you waiting for? Take my picture, Loki." 

 

"Do I have to?" Loki whined with a moue of disgust on his face.

 

"Lokiiiii…"

 

"Oh, alright!" The biker took the shot and then nodded in the direction behind the Brit, where a small group of dark-skinned children were watching them. The kids were leading a small herd of goats and one very scrawny carabao. "Those Aeta kids probably think you're an idiot."

 

"Nah, I'm just a humble tourist having a great time!" Tom whirled to wave at the children, greeting them with a cheerful "Hi!" Unlike the kids of the Bontoc village, the Aeta children all ran away, dragging their livestock behind them.

 

"Great!" Loki groaned at the sight of their hasty departure. He returned Tom's camera and took the jackhammer out of his hand. Thrusting the shorts into the Brit's arms as well, he urged, "We'd better go up to the crater before they bring the whole village down on us. Come on! I know a faster way."

 

The two men hastened up the volcano, scrambling through prickly dried brush and slipping and stumbling over obscure dirt trails. Despite Loki's rush to get to the top, Tom still managed to take quick photos for the view of blue gray cliffs and ash covered valleys with their light green and brown shrubs was breathtaking. But nothing could have prepared him for the awesome sight awaiting him at the top.

 

Unlike other volcanoes that he had the opportunity to visit during his travels through Europe, which had steam or even lava trickles within their vents, Mt. Pinatubo's crater was like a gigantic bowl containing a gorgeous lake with turquoise waters. That beautiful blue lake was a striking contrast to the bleak landscape surrounding the volcano. To Tom, this lake was a message from Mother Nature that the cycle of life was slowly turning. Following the death and destruction that took place during and after Mt. Pinatubo's eruption, hope for the renewal of the land in the years to come was an absolutely certainty.

 

Because he was utterly mesmerized by the sheer beauty of Pinatubo's Crater Lake, Tom did not notice at first that Loki was tinkering with the jackhammer's switches and controls. He straightened up then, thrusting the drill bit into the ground.

 

"Time to wake up, old man," Loki muttered determinedly between gritted teeth.

 

Tom clapped his hands over his ears as the jackhammer pounded deep into the rocky ground, its deafening noise echoing throughout the valley.

 

 ** _"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"_** Tom shouted above the din.

 

"There's an old fool I need to speak with!" the biker replied, not stopping his digging. "The problem is he sleeps like the dead. This is the only way to get his attention!"

 

"You're going to get us in trouble with the tourist center of this place! Turn that damned jackhammer off before someone…"

 

As Tom glowered at the stubborn biker before him, it was then that he saw the Aeta. He was a small, old man with a thick ash gray curly beard and dressed only in a loincloth. The Aeta was standing behind Loki, and Tom swore he was not there before. It was like…the old Aeta just blinked into existence.

 

Before Tom could utter a single word in warning, the old man kicked Loki squarely in the ass with a big, flat foot. With a surprised cry, the biker fell into the crater, tumbling head over heels down its side and dragging the jackhammer along with him. Tom winced as Loki fell into the lake with a splash.

 

 ** _"LOKI!"_** Tom called worriedly at the sputtering, furious figure who broke through the water's surface. **_"HEY! ARE YOU OKAY?!"_** There was a hard kick to his shin, and the Brit found himself staring down at the Aeta. To his dismay, more tribesmen were clambering up the volcano with spears in hand.

 

Sheepishly, he began, "I'm truly sorry for what my companion did, but really, he didn't mean any harm."

 

The Aeta let out a contradicting snort. Glaring up at Tom through jaundiced eyes, he pointed his finger down sharply.

 

"What…I don't understand."

 

The old man rolled his eyes upward in obvious exasperation. Reaching out, he tugged Tom's shorts, pulling the garment almost down to the Brit's knees. As Tom bent down to yank his shorts back up, the Aeta pulled on his arm with a strength belying his age and tiny frame, causing the younger man to fall on his behind at the crater's edge, his long legs dangling.

 

Tom could only gape in helpless shock as the ancient Aeta curled up on the ground and drifted off to sleep with his head laid on the Brit's lap.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

"I'm sorry, Loki," Tom apologized to the biker for what seemed like the thousandth time that morning. "Believe me, I'm really, truly sorry."

 

Loki, who was hogtied and swinging on a sturdy pole being carried by two Aeta men, hissed in fury, "If you're really sorry, Tom wipe that quivering grin off your face. The least you could do is to show some sincerity."

 

"I did tell you to turn off that jackhammer. But you just wouldn't listen to me. Oh!"

 

The biker bent his torso upward to see what had caught the Brit's attention.

 

The Aeta village they were brought to was a lot smaller and poorer in comparison to the home of the Bontocs. Their dwellings were made from scraps of wood and coconut fronds. The villagers themselves were dressed very humbly; their T-shirts and skirts were clearly hand-me-downs while the men either wore tees on top of shorts or loincloths. Their children, who were either naked or wearing shorts, eyed them from behind their parents. From their skinny arms and bloated bellies, it was obvious that the kids were malnourished.

 

"What happened to them?" Tom asked, unable to conceal his worry and sorrow.

 

"Ever since the eruption," Loki began in explanation, "the Aetas have not fully recovered from the loss of their lands, crops and livestock. The land itself has not regained its fertile state because of the ash and lahar that had smothered it. The people are now living like nomads, moving from place to place, scrounging for food anywhere they could get it." The biker swung his body hard to the side, so that he bumped into the old Aeta who was trotting beside him. "It's all your fault, old man. Why aren't you doing something to fix this mess?"

 

"I did not mean for it to happen," the Aeta spoke for the first time. He said in clipped English, "It was those idiots, drilling all over the mountainside for oil. I was sleeping soundly, but their **_BRATATATATAT_** woke me up."

 

"Still, that was not an excuse for you to blow your stack the way you had."

 

"Uh?" Tom interrupted, perplexed by their weird exchange. "Excuse me? But what are you two talking about?"

 

The Aeta glared at the biker to be silent, but Loki persisted, "Why? Weren't you given guidebooks by the tourist center? This old fool happens to be Apo Namalyari, the g…"

 

The Aeta elder angrily pushed a twig between Loki's teeth to shut him up. "Don't listen to this idiot! Come to think of it, what are you doing with him anyway? He is nothing but trouble!"

 

Tom told him about the loss of his wallet and how the biker had offered him a ride back to Manila. "He has been most kind to me," he said in conclusion, hoping that the good word he had put in would convince the elder to let Loki go.

 

Apo Namalyari, however, snorted. "Hmph! Him? Kind? He has never been kind to anyone unless it suited his purpose. I wonder what use you shall be to him? Or perhaps, because you look like him, he is attracted to your beauty. This one…he is a deviant."

 

Loki somehow managed to spit the stick out of his mouth. "I am no longer the g…the man…that I was before. I just want to see him safe back in Metro Manila, that is all."

 

"Then what are you doing here and not on the National Highway?" the Elder countered. "With what you have done, by rousing me the way you had, you had put my people at risk!"

 

"You know why I am here, Apo Namalyari." Loki then said something in the Aeta dialect which Tom did not understand, but which caused the old man's eyes to widen.

 

Sadness and deep regret was etched on Apo Namalyari's face as prominent wrinkles. With a forlorn shake of his head, he took the bone knife tucked in his loincloth at his hip and cut the ropes that bound the biker, so that Loki fell to the ground with a grunt. He then waved to a woman, who hurried toward them. The elder glanced briefly at Tom and then gave instructions to the woman. Nodding, she took the Brit's arm, tugging and urging him to come along with her.

 

"Wait! What?" Tom stammered in confusion.

 

"Go with her," Apo Namalyari declared. "My people will give you food and a place to rest after your travel."

 

"No, there's no need, sir. Loki and I will just be on our way."

 

"It's alright, Tom," Loki reassured him. "There is something very important that I need to discuss with Apo Namalyari, so we need to stay awhile. I hope you don't mind."

 

"No, I don't mind at all."

 

"Thank you," the biker said in relieved gratitude. "I'll be along. I promise."

 

Despite his doubts, Tom allowed himself to be pulled in the direction of the huts. "Are you sure you'll be okay?" he called out to Loki, who was being led to a distant hut by the elder. But he was soon distracted by the children who had suddenly gathered around him. A little girl shyly poked his hand with a dirty finger. Seeing the sparkle in her black eyes, Tom knew instantly what had caught her interest. He stooped down and let her run her fingers through his curly hair. There were delighted giggles as the other kids each took turns ruffling his hair.

 

A little boy let out a cheerful declaration which had the villagers laughing out loud.

 

"What did he say?" Tom inquired with some measure of trepidation.

 

Loki could not hold back his smile. "He just dubbed you 'The Great White Aeta'."

 

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

 

"Let's just say that you have just been somewhat elevated to the status of a god." Before Tom could preen at that praise, the biker chortled back before disappearing inside the hut, "Blame it on your damned curly hair, broomhead!"

 

**_"HEY! WHO ARE YOU CALLING 'BROOMHEAD'? ONLY MY YOUNGEST SISTER CAN CALL ME THAT!"_ **

 

Again, there was an insistent tugging on Tom's arm. Remembering the state of malnutrition among the children, he raised his hand and said "Wait!" to the woman. He hurried back to the bike and took the hamper of lunch that Oway had prepared for them. As everyone stared back at him curiously, he opened the lid of the basket to reveal the food that was inside.

 

"Let's share this, okay?" Tom said with a charming smile, drawing cheers from everyone.

 

As the day wore on, Tom was kept entertained by the Aetas. After a truly sumptuous lunch—and if the Brit wondered why Oway's basket did not seem to run out of food, it was for but a brief moment—Tom was treated to a tribal bee dance before he was hustled off by the men and some of the older children to gather honey in the woods. They soon found a large hive. Unfortunately though, the bees seemed to have become attracted to Tom's hair, thinking those luscious curls would make for great hive building material. Despite warnings from the lead hunter not to move, Tom took off when a couple of bees came within a mere millimeter from stinging the tip of his nose. When the Brit returned to the village, the women could only roll their eyes and laugh at his uselessness and, instead, put him to work weaving winnows and mats. Tom proved particularly helpful at making raincoats made out of coconut palm leaves. Using rope that he wove himself, he would tie the bases of the leaves together, leaving the ends free so that the raincoat could be tied around the neck. The palm leaves would then spread below like a fan, covering the upper body. For his efforts, the returning hunters rewarded him with a good-sized comb dripping with fresh honey, which Tom consumed with great relish.

 

However, Tom knew that it was all just a distraction, to keep his mind from thinking about the biker and his strange exchange with Apo Namalyari. Excusing himself from the busy villagers, he pretended to head in the direction of the hut where they had dined, but quickly made a U-turn to go back to the place where he had last seen Loki.

 

Tom was about to peek through the small door when the elder himself popped out of the hut.

 

"If you are looking for Loki, he is not here," Apo Namalyari stated. "But I promise that he will be back." The elder's face contorted in a disappointed grimace. "I doubt if he is…worthy."

 

That last made Tom even more worried. "Why? Is he in some sort of trouble? Believe me when I tell you that he has been most kind to me."

 

"You have known him for only a few hours. You do not know him as we do. He is a…troublemaker."

 

"Yes, in the short time that I have known him, I'm aware that he has a mischievous streak to him. Still, whatever it was that he had done to you, I don't think you should just blow him off. Everyone deserves a second chance, including him."

 

Apo Namalyari sighed. "That is why I gave him a test of sorts…to prove himself. But as I told Loki, there is no guarantee that he will get what he desires the most, even if he passes the test."

 

"Then why put him through such a test at all if there is no hope?" Tom scowled at the elder disapprovingly. "Where did he go?"

 

"A cave…on the other side of this volcano. But I would not advise that you…"

 

"Loki is a friend," Tom declared stubbornly. "As he is helping me with my problem, I shall help him with his."

 

Before Apo Namalyari could stop him, Tom ran off in search of the biker. _I don't know what sort of trouble you're in Loki. But I will not let you go through this test alone._

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

**PART THREE**

 

_If there is anything that could be said about frustration, it is that it can make someone do stupid things. He should know. His very long life has been nothing more than a never-ending series of mistakes and regrets._

_This…test…that was given to him by Apo Namalyari was something that he knew he would fail. Or even if he should pass it by some miracle, he doubted if it would give him the prize which he had been so desperately seeking. Still, frustration and the dire need to fulfill his goal compelled him to wheel his Honda through the rough, unfamiliar terrain of over a decade's past._

_There was a jarring bump when he drove the motorcycle through a small hole, eliciting a discontented rumble from the powerful traveling machine between his legs._

_"I'm very sorry, son," he patted the chrome finish of the gas tank with his left hand while keeping his right firmly around the handle bar. "I should've realized that this trail is difficult for you to tread in your current form. We're already close anyway, so please bear with it for a little while longer. Next time, I promise I shall change you back to your true form."_

_Inside his head, he was answered by a reassuring whinny. But before he could convey his gratitude, he was blasted off the bike by a searing gust of wind. As he rolled on the ground, he managed to raise a cold shield around himself and the Honda to protect themselves from more scorching gusts. Lifting his head, he saw a massive column of ash and fire rising from the volcano's mouth._

_With his preternatural sight, though, he saw that this terrifying vision was akin to an image being projected by a movie projector onto a painted screen. An image of a past devastation superimposed over the landscape it had changed during the course of seventeen years._

So this was what the old man meant about a 'created Hell', _he thought wryly._ And it is this 'Hell' that is preventing this land from being healed.

 

_He knew now what this test would entail, and he cursed yet again the cunning volcano god who would force him to transform into the shape he detested. His only consolation was that his road companion was not here to witness his metamorphosis and, more so, that he would be spared from the heartbreaking horror that clearly awaited him. But if he should pass the test…_

_A pang of longing gnawed at his heart at the possibility that he would be parted too soon from Tom. Strange how, in just a few hours, the Englishman has managed to touch his cold heart which he thought was long immured to all emotions._

_He shook himself briskly to relieve himself of these troubled thoughts. At last, he was going to get his heart's desire. If he should pass this test…_

_To protect any living creatures that may be inside this hellish zone, he conjured up a barrier that would emit an aura of frigid air and ice as a defense against the scorching heat._

_Turning to his motorcycle—which he had instinctively transformed into a handsome gray steed with eight strong legs instead of four—he said, "Wait for me here, Sleipnir. Once I finish with this test, I'll come back for you."_

_With that, he hurried toward the source of this eternal nightmare._

 

One moment, Tom was running hard, following the bike's tracks on the ash-covered ground. The next moment, he was hurtling through the air when something blasted behind him. He must have blacked out when he crashed to the ground because, when he woke up, there was nothing but darkness all around him.

 

As he pushed himself up, however, Tom discovered that it was not evening at all. To his shock and horror, he found that he was right smack in the middle of an ash storm, if he could describe his present circumstances that. Strong gusts of wind sent smoke reeking of sulfur and ash blasting at him. By some miracle, he remained upright despite the battering winds.

 

For a moment, he just stood there, dazed and confused, only to gasp when a thick, massive cloud of ash and fiery rock billowed toward him. With no place to hide, Tom dropped back down to the ground, covering his head with his arms. Surprisingly, although the cloud roared through him, he escaped the conflagration unscathed.

 

"But…but…wasn't that…a pyroclastic flow?" Tom stammered in confusion as he stood up once more. "How…why…"

 

Something bumped him in the back hard and he whirled to find himself staring into blinking green eyes, eyes that would have reminded him of Loki if it were not for the fact that those stunning emerald orbs were looking back at him from the head of a gray stallion, and one with eight legs no less.

 

"Where did you come from, boy?" Tom asked in awe, wondering if he had suffered a nasty concussion from the fall earlier and was now giving him hallucinations. But when he reached out, his fingers touched soft hairs and a strong neck. The horse itself was surrounded by a cold green aura, a shimmering shield which clung to his skin as well.

 

Was this aura the reason why he was not incinerated by that pyroclastic flow? Tom, however, did not have time to ponder this…this phenomenon…this magic. He had to get this magnificent animal to safety.

 

"Come on, boy," he urged the horse to follow him. "I must get you out of here. God, I hope the Aetas were able to evacuate."

 

The horse refused to budge. Seeing that the stallion would not be moved, Tom decided to climb on its back, hoping that it would heed his commands. As soon as he was settled though, the horse turned around and galloped even closer toward Pinatubo's slope where the pyroclastic flows were thickest.

 

 ** _"NO! STOP! NOT THERE!"_** Tom cried, yanking on its mane and kicking at its side with his heels. But the horse would not obey him.

 

Through ash and lahars, the stallion galloped at a breakneck pace, nimbly evading rocks of fire that hurtled toward them. Wherever it was that they were headed, it was definitely inhabited by people. Tom felt his hairs stand on end at the agonized screams that grew louder and louder as they drew closer to their destination.

 

It did not take long before they arrived at the spot where the screams originated—a small cave at the base of the volcano with lava oozing inside it. A familiar figure stood helplessly at the cave's mouth, shouting for whoever was inside to come out.

 

Jumping down from the horse's back, Tom rushed toward that panicked, frantic form. **_"LOKI!"_**

 

But the man who turned around to face him was not the biker…or was he? His face and the skin visible through the opening of his leather jacket were a deep blue hue. There were raised lines and ridges on his broad forehead. Eyes that were all too visibly shocked at seeing him were a deep crimson.

 

 ** _"WHAT THE HEL ARE YOU DOING HERE?"_** Loki—yes, that familiar voice could only belong to him and the biker—demanded furiously. He turned to the horse. **_"AND YOU! WHY DID YOU BRING HIM TO THIS PLACE?"_**

 

"I was worried about you!" Tom yelled back with equal vehemence. "Did the volcano erupt?"

 

"No! You have literally blundered into a living, eternal recreation of the 1991 eruption. When Pinatubo blew its top seventeen years ago, a small tribe of Aetas chose to hide inside that cave rather than evacuate, believing that their god would protect them. They were burned and buried alive in the pyroclastic, lava and lahar flows. Their spirits are trapped inside that cave, reliving that horrific day over and over again. I need to break this unending cycle of agony and death."

 

Tom never thought to ask for more explanations. There was time enough later for him to satisfy his curiosity if they both survived this. "Is there anything I can do to help?" he inquired instead.

 

"I have no choice but to enter the cave and get the Aetas out."

 

"But that's suicide! Even if this is a hell of their making, the flames, the heat…they're all real. You put this green shield on me and the horse didn't you? Even with this shield, I could still feel the heat. It'll be a hell of a lot hotter inside that cave, like an oven!"

 

"There are no other options. I'm a Frost Giant AND a mage. My ice magic will protect me." Loki waved his hands and cleared ash and lahar from a spot ten meters away from them. As Tom looked on in amazement, the biker created a shimmering dome with snow falling from thick, heavy clouds floating at its ceiling. "I want you to stay in there, Tom. Every time I pull a spirit out, drag it inside and douse the fire burning their bodies with snow. There's healing magic in the snow as well. It will help heal their burns."

 

"Why don't I go in there with you? We could get the Aetas out faster."

 

"This is MY test, Tom. Apo Namalyari would not want you helping me in the critical task."

 

Despite his reservations, Tom nodded and took his place near the dome with the stallion watching over him. When he turned around, Loki was already running into the cave.

 

In a matter of minutes, the biker was dragging out a woman who was writhing and shrieking in agony. At least Tom thought it was a woman. Her entire body was covered with glowing molten rock. He grabbed her wrist, wincing at the terrible heat radiating from her and which was battering at his shield, and pulled her inside the dome.

 

Quickly, Tom started piling snow on top of her. To his dismay, the fire on her body could not be put out. Loki came back with two men and three children, but no matter how much snow he packed on them, the snow would quickly melt, sending steam rising up and filling the dome.

 

"Loki, the snow is not working!" Tom cried in desperation when the biker shoved five more people into the dome.

 

"You have to wake them up, Tom!" Loki answered, panting heavily. "You need to make them realize that they are out of that cave!"

 

And Tom did just that. Again and again, he covered the screaming Lava People with snow while saying over and over, "Please wake up! Calm down! You're safe now! Please, you need to wake up!"

 

But as the dome was filled up with the Lava People, Tom could no longer hold back his tears at the sight of so much suffering which he could not alleviate. "How can I help you?" he sobbed. "Please tell me what I should do!"

 

As his teardrops fell on the snow, a sudden change fell upon the Lava People. They stopped screaming, although their skins still glowed with fire. With great effort, they raised their arms to him in entreaty, their smoldering mouths opening in voiceless speech, but only capable of producing low moans. Yet, Tom was able to discern that they were all saying a single word, a word he could not understand.

 

"I'm sorry. I don't understand what you're trying to say," Tom said, shaking his head.

 

Then, one man pointed sideways. At first, Tom thought that he was pointing to Loki, who was leading a woman and a child. Eyeing the direction of that finger, he realized that the man was pointing to the cave.

 

"This is the last of them," Loki exhaled in relief as he entered the dome with the two Aetas in tow.

 

"No," Tom breathed out, dread filling his heart. "There's still someone in there."

 

"Tom, the cave is empty. There is no one—"

 

 ** _"Ssssh!"_** Tom hushed the biker sharply, going so far as to press his hand over his mouth to silence him.

 

"What are you—"

 

But Tom ignored Loki's muffled protests, straining his ears to listen above the din of rumbling earth and cracking rocks.

 

It was then that he heard it—a soft, mewling cry and light coughing. At once, Tom felt his blood run cold.

 

**_"THERE'S A BABY IN THERE!"_ **

 

Before Loki could stop him, Tom made a swift dash for the cave. Behind him, the biker was shouting, **_"TOM, COME BACK! YOUR SHIELD WON'T BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND THAT HEAT!"_**

 

Earlier, Tom had told Loki that the heat inside the cave would be like an oven. Now that he was in the heart of the inferno, he realized his mistake; it was a thousand times hotter. He would have blacked out from the extreme heat if it were not for the fact that the protective shield around him has been quadrupled in thickness, definitely Loki's doing. He could even feel new shields being erected as each layer was being burned away. Still, he dared not dally any longer.

 

However, finding the baby proved difficult. Everything around him was a bright fiery red, making it hard to see. Worse, the baby had stopped crying.

 

"I know you're in here, sweetie," Tom cajoled louder above the crackles of flames. "Come on. Cry for me. Even just a whimper."

 

But the baby continued to be silent.

 

**_"GOD DAMN IT! CRY!"_ **

 

At his furious, frustrated below, a terrified wail rang out, coming from a small hole at the back of the cave. Carefully, Tom inched his way through the narrow passage, stepping over rocks so that the soles of his shoes would not be melted by the lava at his feet. Gingerly balancing himself between two large slabs, he reached inside the lava-filled hole with both arms.

 

At once, Tom screamed in agony as his hands and arms were burned by the lava. Biting down on his lower lip, drawing blood, he pulled the baby out, not at all surprised to find it ablaze like its kin. Cradling the baby to his chest, thus burning off his T-shirt and the skin of his upper body underneath, he quickly made his way out of the cave.

 

 ** _"OH MY LORD! TOM!"_** Seeing his pitiful state, Loki rushed toward him. But Tom would not let go of the baby. Instead, he allowed the biker to help him, leading him inside the snow dome.

 

One of the Lava People lifted her arms to him. As soon as Tom gently laid the baby in her arms, the lava that covered the bodies oozed down and disappeared into the ground, leaving behind healed, but transparent dark skin. Loki dispelled the dome, and they saw that the landscape had reverted back to its present state. The caldera of Mt. Pinatubo overhead was crowned by the bright red rays of the setting sun.

 

With a relieved sigh, Tom collapsed on the ground like a wilting flower. Loki hastened to kneel at his side in order to heal his wounds.

 

"You crazy fool!" Loki exclaimed, tears filling his eyes. "You could've died!"

 

"I'm okay," Tom reassured the biker weakly, feeling the soothing cold of Loki's healing energies on his burnt skin. "I guess this means you passed the test."

 

"No. I'm sorry but he did not."

 

Apo Namalyari stood before them, his tribesmen bearing their things. The stallion had disappeared. In its place, the Honda was propped beside a tree.

 

Loki could not conceal his dismay. "You told me that if I saved your lost people, freed them from their Hel, you would help me!"

 

"But it was not you who found the baby, the one thing that kept them trapped in that eternal nightmare," Apo Namalyari pointed out. "It was your…companion…who figured it out. Perhaps if it had been you who found the child, then I could have…"

 

At the Aeta elder's pause, it was then that they saw the bright white light, coming from a portal that had opened on the side of the volcano. The Aeta spirits were walking solemnly through that doorway.

 

Completely forgetting that he was still healing Tom, Loki leaped to his feet and dashed toward that door. Before he could reach it, however, the portal closed and vanished, so that the biker nearly ran face first into the slope.

 

"So…you are still the selfish bastard I know you to be," Apo Namalyari stated in disappointment, shaking his head. "You would abandon your companion before you have healed him completely."

 

"Please, sir," Tom whispered to the elder. "I…I don't know what's going on here. But I'm begging you. That doorway…won't you open it again for Loki? Please do it for me."

 

"The portal will only open for those who are worthy…" Apo Namalyari glanced at the despondent biker who was kneeling at the spot where the doorway was at. "…And he has proven yet again that he is unworthy."

 

"And who the hell are you to judge who is worthy or not?" Tom demanded between gritted teeth.

 

"Impudent human! Have you not realized who I am yet? I am the god of this volcano!"

 

"Yet you did nothing to save those poor people! The reason why they burned was not just because of the baby! They put their faith in you, that you would protect them! But you betrayed them all by blowing a huge tantrum because a bunch of drillers woke you up from your beauty sleep! Don't you dare call Loki unworthy when you are worthless yourself!"

 

For a few minutes, Apo Namalyari stared, speechless, down at Tom, who was gasping from anger and the pain of his injuries. Even Loki was taken aback by his companion's fierce defense of him, despite not knowing his true nature.

 

With a heavy sigh, the biker returned to Tom's side. "Let me finish healing him and then we'll go," he requested of the silent god.

 

"No, Loki," Tom stated, his jaw hard and firm. "Let's leave right now. You can heal me on the way. I'd rather not stay here with this hypocrite a minute longer."

 

Nodding, Loki helped Tom up, being careful of his burns. As they trudged toward the Honda, the Aetas meekly followed them and helped secure their things to the back, all the while mumbling words of apology. Sitting Tom on the bike, Loki conjured up a long silk shawl which he draped over the injured young man's upper body.

 

"I want you to press your body hard to my back and wrap your arms tightly around my waist," Loki advised as he got on the Honda in front of Tom. "I'll heal you while we ride."

 

It was when Loki kickstarted the motorcycle to life that Apo Namalyari broke his silence.

 

"There is another doorway which may be opening tonight," the god revealed. "Go to Capas National Shrine just a few miles from here. While I am uncertain if you will be able to pass through it, there is no harm in trying."

 

Before they rode way, Tom could not resist a bitter parting shot. "Thank you for that information. But I hope I don't see your face ever again."

 

They never saw Apo Namalyari look down at his wrinkled hands, which were losing its solidity. He gazed at his poor people whom he had woefully neglected.

 

The god of Mt. Pinatubo whispered in despair, "No, you won't see me again, for I was deemed a worthless god by a weak, but noble human."

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

**PART FOUR**

 

_What he was doing was a reckless, extremely dangerous thing—healing a semi-conscious mortal with serious burn injuries while riding at breakneck speed on a motorcycle in the middle of a teleportation spell through the ancient pathways. Not only was he increasing the rate of diminution of his already dwindled magic, there was the risk of both he and Tom getting thrown off the bike. But the urgency of getting to Capas National Shrine overwhelmed all common sense._

_Feeling the fevered heat emanating from Tom behind him, he wondered if Apo Namalyari had been right in his assessment of his fellow deity—that he was still the selfish god whom all beings—both living and dead, those who lived in past, present, and future—knew him to be. Hadn't he leaped for the doorway while he was still healing the mortal?_

_He remembered how strongly Tom defended him against the god of the Pinatubo in spite of his near abandonment. When had it been since someone last spoke up in his defense? Perhaps there has been no one; no names or faces came to mind. But Tom, with sheer logic and brutal honesty, had put an ancient earth god in his place._

What did I do to deserve that? _He mused. Dangerous though it was, he briefly released his hold on the handlebar in order to run his fingers through those soft, silky curls._ If I should ever get back home, I swear on my name as a god, I will shower you, your family, and your descendants with all the blessings that are in my power to bestow.

 

_A soft whinny echoed inside his mind. So…they have at last arrived at the shrine, and not a moment too soon. Emerging from the grip of the teleportation spell, he slowed the bike to a stop over the checkerboard pathway to the shrine itself, an obelisk of marble and granite. Getting down from the Honda, he carefully lifted Tom, who let out a barely audible moan. To his relief, most of the burns have been healed, although there were still some raw, red patches on his arms and below his neck._

_Going up the small steps to the shrine, he laid Tom down on the marble floor at the foot of the obelisk. Taking off his leather jacket, he closed his eyes and concentrated, his right hand reaching over his shoulder to his upper back to touch the tattooed image of a snarling gray wolf. As his magic flowed into his skin, the tattoo bulged out once, twice. Then, with a happy yip, the wolf emerged from his back._

_With worried green eyes, the wolf gazed down at the mortal. |He is not yet fully healed, Father. Would you like me to finish healing him for you?|_

_"Yes, Fenrir, my son. I would very much appreciate your humble assistance," he said in relief._

_Shrugging nonchalantly, the wolf settled down beside Tom, pressing his furry bulk as close to the mortal's body as possible. To his credit, Tom lifted his arm and hugged the canine. |I like him, Father. His heart is pure.|_

_"I know," he said with a sad little smile on his lips as he patted the wolf's head._

_|You'd better hurry. They're coming.|_

_He straightened up and trained his gaze toward the distance. There was a glowing mist slowly approaching the shrine. If he peered closer, he knew he would see straggling human shadows within that mist._

_"Stay with Tom, Fenrir," he ordered. "If I am granted passage, I will return for you."_

_|Good luck, Father,| the wolf said in encouragement._

_Nodding, he donned his jacket and strode toward the coming mist._

 

 

Tom was having troubling, angry dreams. He was again berating Apo Namalyari for what he had done to the poor Aetas and for his merciless condemnation of Loki. The biker was kneeling at his feet, hands covering his face as he cried.

 

"Why do you defend him so?" the Volcano God asked him. "Don't you know who he is?"

 

"It doesn't matter who he is," Tom countered, the burning baby in his embrace scorching his arms and breast, "because I…"

 

But Tom could not finish what he was going to say because the muscles in his throat suddenly clenched up, so that he could not breathe. To his horror, the flames were creeping up his arms to consume his mortal flesh.

 

"Then you must die with him," Apo Namalyari said in regret and sorrow, as the fire completely engulfed Tom's body.

 

Tom woke up with a gasp, to have a warm, wet tongue licking his tear-streaked face. As his eyelids blinked open, he found himself staring into the bright green eyes of a wolf.

 

He sat up instantly, eyeing the wild canine with wariness and confusion. He never knew that there were wolves in the Philippines. As Tom looked on in amazement, though, the wolf laid his paw on his knee and nudged his arm with a cold nose.

 

Tom could not believe what he was seeing. All his burns had been miraculously healed. While he could feel some tightness in the skin of his arms and chest, it was completely smooth, devoid of scars.

 

"Did Loki do this?" Tom asked in awe, realizing at the last second that he probably looked ridiculous speaking to a wolf.

 

To his even greater surprise, the wolf snorted and licked a tiny burn which Tom had missed, healing the wound with glowing green saliva.

 

"You both did this?" Tom inquired with incredulity. "But how? Where did you come from, boy? And where is Loki?"

 

In answer, the wolf turned his head toward the distance where a glowing white mist was creeping up over the landscape. From within that mist, Tom thought he could hear angry yells, moaning and groaning, and a plaintive voice which could only belong to Loki.

 

"Stay here, boy," Tom told the wolf as he rose to his feet. "Loki might be in trouble."

 

Although he was still weak, Tom hurried as fast as he could toward the mist. As he drew closer and closer, his blue gray eyes widened at the wispy human forms that materialized before him.

 

There were hundreds, no, thousands of these poor ghosts, because that was what they were. Ghosts of dead Filipino and American soldiers dressed in torn, ragged military uniforms, many with bandages covering various parts of their bodies. Their steps were painful and shuffling, as if they had traveled for several miles on ruined boots or bare feet. As the ghosts plodded past him, he could see their tormentors—ghosts of the soldiers from the Japanese Imperial Army—forcing them onward under the crack of whips and the sharp pops of guns.

 

Tom did not have to guess what this horrible sight he was witnessing was—the infamous Bataan Death March.

 

 ** _"NO! DON'T HURT HIM!"_** he cried out in fury, seeing a Filipino soldier stumble to the ground and viciously lashed by a Japanese officer with a riding crop. He rushed toward them, letting his fist fly out at the Jap, only to have his arm go right through that cruel wraith.

 

To his left, he saw an American struggling to keep his wounded comrade upright. But a Japanese soldier shot the wounded man right in the head, and kicked the stunned American to hurry on, forcing him to leave his friend behind dead on the ground.

 

Tom had never felt such overwhelming rage, fear, and helplessness in his life. Even when he aided Loki in freeing those burning Aetas, he still felt hope. But this…could these hundreds, thousands of souls be redeemed?

 

At that moment, Loki's voice reached his hearing. "I beg you! Please! When the doorway opens for you, please let me come with you!" Again and again, the biker repeated that heart-wrenching cry.

 

Running in the direction of that begging voice, Tom darted between the ghosts, sometimes pausing to lash out at the wraith of a Japanese soldier who would shoot or strike at a hapless POW, even if he knew it was useless to do so. These short pauses proved costly though. Tom would continue onward after striking at a wraith, only to hear Loki's voice coming from another direction or more distant than previous. The Death March itself stretched for eighty miles.

 

How can he find a single living being among 80,000 tortured souls?

 

There was a snappy bark behind him. Whirling, Tom saw the gray wolf bounding toward him. To his even greater surprise, galloping at the wolf's side was the eight-legged stallion.

 

Tom did not think twice. As the two animals sped past him, he seized the horse's mane and swung himself up onto its back. With Tom settled on the stallion, the wolf sprinted ahead, leading them to where Loki was at.

 

It took a good ten minutes before they finally found the biker. As the stallion and the wolf halted, Tom could see Loki weaving among the spirits, begging each one to take him along. The wolf barked insistently, his head turned in the direction from where they came. Tom saw the large, shimmering portal that materialized before the obelisk. The POWs were disappearing into it, going to God knows where.

 

 ** _"LOKI!"_** Tom called out to the biker. But Loki did not seem to hear him, continuing to plead with every soldier he passed by.

 

Out of desperation, Loki prostrated himself before an American sergeant, whose left eye was covered in a bandage and his arm in a sling.

 

"Please, sir!" the biker begged the officer. "Take me through the doorway with you!"

 

This time, unlike the other ghosts that shuffled past or walked right through the biker, the sergeant stopped, his good eye glaring down at a groveling Loki with smoldering intensity.

 

"You're not one of us," the officer intoned in merciless finality. "You're unworthy!"

 

"No! Please! You must listen to me!"

 

As Tom watched in growing alarm, the entire line of soldiers stopped, every man staring accusingly at the biker and uttering over and over that single condemning word.

 

"Unworthy… _unworthy_ … ** _UNWORTHY!_** "

 

Loki doubled over in despair, crying out, "No! Please no!"

 

The ghosts' damning chant caught the attention of their Japanese tormentors. As Tom looked on, horrified, the evil wraiths rushed as one toward Loki with weapons raised while the POWs continued their march into the doorway.

 

 ** _"NO! I WON'T LET YOU TOUCH HIM!_ "** Tom roared in rage, jumping down from the horse's back. He pumped his long legs hard, hoping to overtake the Japanese ghosts. But four have reached the biker ahead of him.

 

 ** _"NOOOO!"_** Tom shouted, seeing one Jap bring Loki sprawling to the ground with a rifle butt to the head. Two more were whipping the biker's back mercilessly. The fourth was pulling out his pistol from its holster.

 

Tom never realized that his entire body was surrounded by a bright blue aura. In his blind rage, neither did he notice that his hand had closed around the barrel of the rifle he had seized. Tearing the rifle from the Jap's hand, Tom fired at the wraith who dissipated like smoke. He also shot at the two soldiers and the officer who was about to fire a bullet into Loki's head.

 

Bending down, Tom reached for Loki's arm. As he yanked on the dazed biker, he urged him, "Loki! Come on! We must get away from here!" The biker, however, slumped back down to the ground, moaning and weeping.

 

Before long, they were completely surrounded by Japanese soldiers. Tom lifted the rifle to shoot, but all he got from the weapon when he squeezed the trigger repeatedly were noisy clicks. Undaunted, Tom shifted his grip on the gun, holding it by the barrel with the butt raised high, ready to bludgeon anyone who dared to get close to them.

 

 ** _"YOU WANT HIM?"_** Tom taunted, waving the rifle like a baseball bat. _"YOU'LL HAVE TO GO THROUGH ME FIRST!"_  
  
The Japanese wraiths must have come to the conclusion that they could not attack him singly. With shrill cries, they charged at Tom as one. But they were never able to touch either of the two men.

 

The wolf suddenly appeared before Tom and blasted the wraiths into nothingness with flames coming out of its mouth. The others disintegrated into smoke under the flailing hooves of the stallion.

 

Seeing the doorway shrinking as more and more of the POWs went inside it, Tom roughly jerked Loki to his feet. Shaking the despairing biker hard by his shoulders, he yelled, "Don't you dare give up on me now, Loki! No one has the right to judge you unworthy! **_NO ONE!_** I don't know where that portal leads to, but you have every right to go through it, and I'll make damned sure that you do! "

 

But Loki shook his head. "You don't know what you're saying, Tom! You don't know who I am!"

 

**_"I DON'T CARE! I'M NOT GIVING UP UNTIL I GET YOU THROUGH THAT DOORWAY!"_ **

 

Sensing his determination, the stallion trotted toward them. Tom tossed Loki over its back before leaping on as well, launching the horse into a full gallop. The gray wolf raced along beside them.

 

As they drew nearer to the doorway, Tom saw that the last five men were marching through it.

 

 ** _"HURRY, BOY! HURRY!"_** Tom cried frantically, seeing the portal closing.

 

Out of sheer desperation, Tom kicked the stallion's side so that it leaped high, heading straight for the doorway. A side glance revealed that the wolf had jumped as well. With the doorway shimmering brightly before him, Tom thought that they would succeed.

 

The two men, the horse, and the wolf leaped through the portal, exiting not in Loki's desired destination, but at the foot of the obelisk. It was just like jumping through a circus hoop. When Tom whirled around, he felt his heart sink as the portal blinked out of existence.

 

"I told you it wouldn't work," the trembling biker spoke up before him. "They were right. I AM unworthy."

 

"Loki, stop saying that!"

 

**_"BUT IT'S THE TRUTH! I'm not worthy! I will NEVER be worthy, because of the things I've done! Because of WHO…I…AM!"_ **

****

Before Tom could stop him, the biker jumped down from the horse. Dismounting as well, he ran after Loki, gripping his arm before he could get away.

 

"Don't do this, Loki! Please!" Tom pleaded between gritted teeth. "I'm begging you not to give up! I'll do anything to help you!"

 

"Will you help me, Tom, if I tell you who I really am?" Loki demanded, tears glistening in his emerald eyes. Before Tom could answer, he waved his hand to the two beasts. "This horse and this wolf…they are my sons, my precious children, Sleipnir and Fenrir. Their father AND mother, this man you see before you. I am the God of Mischief, the God of Chaos, the Bringer of Ragnarok! **_I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose!_** What do you have to say for yourself now, you naïve mortal? Are you still willing to help this god who is the embodiment of all that is evil?"

 

Deafening silence fell between them. The air seemed too still, too stifling. Even the panting breaths of the wolf and horse—no, Fenrir and Sleipnir—could no longer be heard, as if they had ceased their respiration from the tension being exuded by the two men. In Loki's eyes, there was only taunting and desperation.

 

Tom, however, was absolutely certain of his answer to the Norse God's anguished questions.

 

"Loki…of Asgard, I see before me a god burdened not with glorious purpose, but with terrible grief, guilt, loneliness, and despair. If you will tell me your story, or even if you choose not to, I will continue to help you."

 

Loki stared back at him with utter disbelief mirrored on his face. Then, his whole form seemed to deflate as he let out a tremendous exhalation of relief.

 

With tears falling from his eyes, Loki gazed at the foolish, but brave mortal before him. "I want to go back to Asgard, Tom. I want to go back home. And I hope to all the gods in my realm, that you won't regret your decision to help me."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

**PART FIVE**

 

_If he were to look back on his very, very long life, he could honestly say that he had never been afraid of anyone, certainly not the god whom he once called "Father". He had never been afraid of his brother, the Thunder God, either. If anything, he was more fearful of his supposedly well-thought out schemes failing. Then again, since he was already aware of the fact that he was a villain and, ergo, a larger percentage of his plots were doomed to fail, with time, even the fear of failure was lost to him._

_But now, as he stole glances at the tall figure who was glowering curiously at the open woven lunch hamper that was given to them by Oway, sitting innocently on a rock at his feet, he found himself deathly afraid all of a sudden._

_A very strong fear that he may end up disappointing this kind-hearted and extremely loyal mortal._

_It was an unwarranted fear, he already knew that. Tom was obviously knowledgeable of the Norse myths and knew exactly who he was. And yet, the human had absolutely no qualms of consorting with the infamous God of Mischief._

_Up to now, he still could not believe that the mortal had stood up to the Volcano God and, later, at the Death March's conclusion, declared his heartfelt desire to assist him in any way he could. Is he really that gullible and trusting? What was it that Tom saw in him which made him want to protect the God of Chaos so fiercely?_

_He knew that there were questions running inside Tom's mind. The human had been throwing him curious glances, which he had chosen to ignore. He needed some time, after all, to compose himself._

_Instead, he suggested that they camp in the woods for the remainder of the night and even offered to cook some rice and_ adobo _for them. Tom had simply said "Okay" and went off into the woods with Sleipnir to search for some good-sized bamboo in which to cook the rice. Meanwhile, Fenrir went ahead to look for meat, returning first with a chicken he had stolen, probably from a nearby Aeta village. He had already cleaned up the bird and was chopping it into pieces when Tom came back to their small camp with two thick bamboo stalks._

_The mortal crouched down before him and watched as he hacked the bamboo into smaller segments. He then cut a rectangular opening on one side and put some rice grains and water inside. Replacing the cut cover and wrapping it up with banana leaf and string, he set the bamboo on top of the fire to cook, turning them occasionally._

_He had been expecting Tom to start asking him questions as he was mincing the garlic and pounding the pepper corns. But the human did not say a word and just watched him at his work. The only sound he made was a startled gasp when he pulled out a small frying pan from inside Oway's basket._

_Tom's attention was soon diverted to that hamper. Occasionally though, he would glance back to where his companion sat, cooking the chicken adobo in a sizzling, aromatic broth of soy sauce, oil, garlic and pepper._

_In the end, Tom's curiosity overcame him and he started rooting eagerly into the basket, with Fenrir and Sleipnir eyeing him in amusement. As he watched them out of the corner of his eye, Tom pulled out a carrot._

_"Not what I need," the mortal grumbled. Turning to the stallion, he inquired, "Do you want this, Sleipnir?" His eldest son didn't have to be told twice, quickly chomping the carrot down._

_"What about you, Fenrir?" Tom inquired of the wolf. "You can dig in with me, if you like."_

_Fenrir shook his head. His bright green eyes were more interested in the adobo his sire was cooking._

_Shrugging, Tom went back to digging inside the basket, going so far as to plunge both arms deep within. "Got something!" he crowed gleefully, only to exclaim **"WHAT THE FUCK?"** and grimace in disgust when he pulled out the skimpiest Igorot _bahag _he had ever seen._

_Even from where he sat, he could hear Apo Botlogan's snickers emanating from inside the basket._

_"Loki!" Tom called out to him. "What's 'You're a pervy old man' in Filipino?"_

_"There are many dialects in the Philippines, Tom," he replied patiently, trying hard not to laugh as the mortal scowled darkly at the loincloth. "In Tagalog, it would be 'Bastos ka, Tanda!'"_

****

_He nearly choked on his giggles when Tom yelled into the basket,_ **"TANDA! BASTOS!"** _He then wrapped a big rock with the loincloth and hurled it into the trees. Incensed as he was and cursing expletives under his breath, Tom never saw Apo Botlogan's mischievous head pop out of the hamper, grinning from ear to ear and muttering "Tom-poo", causing a startled Sleipnir to take two steps backward in surprise. Heaving a sigh and rolling his eyes, Fenrir laid his paw on top of the naughty Bontoc elder's head and pushed him back down, just as Tom stormed back once more to the basket._

_"Hoy, Tanda Bastos!" the human growled in fury. "Gimme what I want! **RIGHT NOW!** "_

_Both Fenrir and Sleipnir lunged in alarm as half of Tom's body disappeared into the hamper, the two beasts hanging on to the waistband of the mortal's shorts with their teeth. Because of Tom's precarious position and the fact that his legs were already lifted a couple of feet from the ground, his shorts had been pulled down, revealing two very pale, but shapely buttocks. Needless to say, the sight of that luscious ass made him drool even harder than over the adobo he was cooking._

_When Sleipnir and Fenrir finally got the human out before he could completely fall into the basket, he quickly turned his head back to his cooking as Tom started moving determinedly toward him on his knees, jerking up his shorts, but not fast enough so that he caught a glimpse of delectable ginger curls at his crotch._

_"I saw you staring at me, Loki. You are also bastos," Tom mumbled resentfully._

_"I did no such thing," he replied defensively. "I was merely afraid that you might end up disappearing into Oway's basket."_

_There was a moment's silence between them. He would not dare look straight at the human. Already, he could feel that blue gray gaze piercing holes into his skull._

_With a resigned sigh, he at last inquired, "Okay, Tom. You have my attention. What is it you want to ask me?"_

_The answer he got were two large potatoes thrust before his face. He lifted his head questioningly to find Tom with his eyes all a-twinkle. A pink tongue tip was poking out of the corner of his mouth and a bead of drool trickled down his chin._

_"Could you add these potatoes in whatever it is you're cooking? **PLEEEAAAAASE?!?** "_

 

 

Tom was all too aware of the fact that Loki was afraid. He could feel the god's fear of Tom's possible disappointment and rejection coming off him in waves. As curious as he was as to Loki's mysterious quest, he dared not ask him his questions outright. Instead, he diverted his mind toward Oway's magical basket and Loki's two children, who were just as eager to play along with him, knowing the discomfiture of their parent. Tom was very patient. He knew that the Norse god would open up to him sooner or later.

 

It was while they were enjoying a hearty meal of adobo on steamy rice served on banana leaves that Loki finally decided to break his silence.

 

"I suppose you'd want me to start from the beginning," he said with great reluctance.

 

"You can start where it's most comfortable for you," Tom reassured him. "I know the Norse myths anyway, so…"

 

"Very well." Loki set his food aside and picked up his cup, pouring a generous amount of _Tapey_ or Igorot rice wine from the jug which he had earlier fished out of Oway's hamper. After taking a deep swig of the strong liquor, he began, "From the myths, you are already aware that I was the one who…instigated…the death of Balder."

 

Tom nodded. "Yes. Balder had been having premonitions about his death, and Odin and Frigga obtained oaths from all things and creatures in the universe not to harm him, except for the mistletoe. You tricked Hod into throwing a shaft of mistletoe at Balder, resulting in his demise. When Frigga asked Hel through the god Hermod to restore Balder to her on the promise that everyone will weep and mourn over him, you, disguised as a giantess, refused to weep, thus, ensuring his incarceration in Hel until the time of Ragnarok."

 

"That was what happened, except that I never disguised myself as a giantess or anyone else. By my refusal to weep, I revealed myself to be Balder's murderer, even indirectly. I tried to escape, hiding in Franangrsfors. But Thor found me, and my punishment was to be imprisoned in a cave, secured to a rock with the entrails of my son Narfi. My wife Sigyn held a bowl over my head lest the acidic venom of the serpent above me fall upon my face. For millennia, this was the torture that I endured. Until…one day, I awoke to find myself free and my wife, as well as my reptilian tormentor, gone. I also discovered that my three other children—Sleipnir, Fenrir and Jormungand—had been bound to my flesh. I tried to free them with my seiðr, but the use of my magic was woefully limited and diminishing in strength as time passed and with every use."

 

Loki paused then, more to gather his thoughts than to give the human some time to muse over these revelations. "With the little magic that I possessed, I transformed Sleipnir into a modern motorcycle. Fenrir and Jormungand I would release from my flesh whenever I am in trouble and in dire need of their help for they also possess some magic. We traveled all over the world to find out what has happened, and the discoveries I made were disturbing."

 

"Why? What did you learn?" Tom could barely hide his concern.

 

Loki exhaled heavily. "The gods of the past…they are either dead or dying, at least the ones trapped on Earth. Because all of the old religions have been primarily replaced by the faith in the One True God, mortals have stopped believing in the ancient deities. A god, you see, draws his or her power from the love and devotion of the humans who worship them. Without this attention, they weaken and wither away into nothingness. These are godless times, Tom. Given the many hardships, wars and so much turmoil in the mortal realm today, I fear even the faith in The God is being sorely strained."

 

"But because you are more mortal than god as a result of the diminution of your magic, you are spared from the fate of the other deities," Tom mused aloud. "You should consider this a blessing, Loki. You will not suffer the fate of the Norse gods. This is your opportunity to live your life the way you want, without seeking approval or acceptance from Odin or Thor."

 

"Tom, I may be somewhat mortal now, but I am still one of THEM. I cannot just disregard everything that has happened in the past. Yes, I have done many terrible things. However, I still care, at least, care enough to know what has become of them and of the realm that I once called home." Loki lowered his head so that Tom would not see his tears. "If I am going to die, I want to die in Asgard. Or Hel. Or wherever it is evil gods like me go."

 

"Don't call yourself 'evil', Loki," Tom chided him sharply. "You are more misunderstood than evil. Many of your so-called 'evil deeds' largely arose from your desire to gain acceptance from those gods whom you believed to be your people. They are much to blame for pushing you into committing wrongdoings."

 

"Do you think so?" Loki murmured softly.

 

Tom's brows joined in a disapproving frown. He could clearly see that the god remained unconvinced by his arguments, probably a result of millennia of false judgments and battered self-esteem. "So," he began again, changing what was obviously an uncomfortable subject, "where do we go from here?"

 

"I've been traveling from Mindanao going up to Visayas and now Luzon," the god revealed. "I have spoken with the Bajau God of the Sea, Omboh Dilaut, in Mindanao, Kan-Laon, the god who dwells in Mt. Kanlaon in Negros Island and Princess Lisuga, goddess of the stars of the Visayas, Princess Magayon of Mt. Mayon and Lam-ang of the Ilocos here in Luzon. They told me the locations of potential portals, but the latter two gods said that I needed the help of Bernardo Carpio to reopen the ancient pathways of Luzon. Thankfully, Bernardo happens to be a good friend of mine."

 

"You've spoken with **_two_** goddesses?"

 

"Yes, and a few others." Noting the even darker frown on the Englishman's face, Loki asked, "Is something wrong?"

 

Tom quickly turned away, blushing. "Nothing, nothing."

 

 _|I believe he's jealous, Father,|_ Fenrir said in amusement, eyeing the flustered mortal. _|You'd better not tell him about Maria Makiling.|_ Even Sleipnir whickered his agreement with his younger sibling and gave Loki a toothy grin.

 

 _|Why should Tom be jealous?|_ Loki argued. _|We've only been together for a short time.|_

_|Tom aside though, surely you can't deny that **you** are interested in **him** , which simply means that it is not a good idea to bring him with you to Mt. Makiling.|_

_|Given my luck, I may not have a choice.|_

 

"Are we ever going to finish talking about the matter at hand or are you all busy at this moment discussing me?" Tom interjected with suspicion. "I can hear your voices inside my head, like the buzzing of bees."

 

"Now why would we be talking about you? And you were the one who first interrupted me, if I might add," Loki heatedly retorted, although Fenrir and Sleipnir had the grace to look abashed and lowered both their heads. Tom crossed his arms over his chest and said "Hmph!"

 

Sighing in exasperation, Loki went on, "Because my powers are extremely limited, I've been relying heavily on the aid of the mountain hero god Bernardo Carpio. He has been keeping open for me the pathways to get around Luzon. To do this, he has been keeping apart the two mountains which open to the major pathways of the island. You may have felt a small earthquake a few days ago. That was because of Bernardo."

 

Tom did recall that earthquake while he was sitting on the curb, prior to meeting Apo Botlogan.

 

Loki continued, "Anyway, based on the list that the gods had given to me, only three possible portals remain. The first is in Taal Volcano. I still have to locate the portal first; I'm not sure if it's on the volcano itself or hidden beneath Taal Lake. Either way, I would need to sneak past the _sirena_ , or mermaids, guarding it. If, for some reason, I am unable to pass through the Taal portal…well…I am rather reluctant to venture to Mt. Makiling and Mt. Banahaw."

 

"Why? Are those mountains dangerous?"

 

Loki scratched his head sheepishly. "I am not exactly on good terms with the _encantada_ of Mt. Makiling." He did not expound on the matter further. "I've never set foot on Mt. Banahaw. It's believed that the One True God had chosen the mountain for his abode following his disappointment with the Prophet Moses and the Israelites at Mt. Sinai. Banahaw thrums with power that I am unfamiliar with."

 

"Hopefully, we won't need to go there," Tom said. From the way the god described Mt. Banahaw, even he was reluctant to set foot on that mountain. "For now, let's just focus on Taal Volcano. I just hope I won't have to encounter any Lava People again."

 

"'We? 'Us'?" Loki asked with a cock of both eyebrows.

 

"Of course! I'm not letting you go off on your own. It's far too dangerous."

 

"Tom, you seem to be forgetting something. I'm a god; you're a mortal. Between the two of us, the risk to you is considerably greater."

 

"Perhaps, but we've been working quite well as a team so far. I think, together, we would have a better chance of getting you through a portal, so I suggest you quit trying to convince me to leave you because it's not going to work."

 

Loki shook his head at the recalcitrance of the younger man. "If you insist, although I think this is a bad idea." He looked up at the sky. "We still have a few hours before daybreak. I suggest we get some sleep before we head off to Tagaytay."

 

At these words, Sleipnir and Fenrir curled up on the ground in a defensive position around their father and the human. Tom patted the side of his open bedroll. Murmuring a word of thanks, Loki laid down on his side, head tucked under his left arm with his right pressed close to his chest. In a surprising move though, Tom took Loki's hand and placed it over his waist. Before Loki could pull his hand back, Tom adjusted it and laid it over his butt.

 

Cuddling up close to the surprised god, Tom whispered huffily, "There. Maybe that will make you think twice about dreaming of pretty goddesses." He then promptly drifted off to sleep.

 

 

 _A small smile curled up the corners of his lips as he drew Tom closer to him._ _What_ am I going to do with you?  _he thought fondly, running his fingers through those mess of golden curls._

_That question brought an answer into his mind, something which he did not even want to contemplate. His meeting with Tom, the mortal's being with him… It couldn't be just coincidence._

_Will he serve a purpose?_

_And…what would it be?_

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

**PART SIX**

 

"That's a volcano? It's so small! **_I LOVE IT!_** "

 

"Hmph! It may seem cute to you but Taal is the second most active volcano in the Philippines. Thirty-three eruptions in all and all of them destructive, largely because of its proximity to populated areas."

 

"Well, I wouldn't mind living here. It's just so pretty!"

 

"Does nothing ever dampen your enthusiasm, Tom?"

 

"Uh…no."

 

Loki rolled his eyes and parked Sleipnir, now back in his motorcycle form, beside the nipa hut of the guide they had come to see. As soon as Sleipnir was settled down, Tom headed straight for the crater lake with a happy whoop, climbing into the _bangka_ or outrigger canoe.

 

"Are you sure you don't want me to accompany you?" the guide asked in concern. "While the volcano itself seems calm enough after the earthquake, I could not say the same about the lake."

 

"Don't worry, Manong Berting," Loki reassured him, handing him the money for the boat rental. "I'm sure we'll be fine."

 

Noting the dark, concerned frown on the god's brow though, Tom called out, "There would be a danger of the volcano actually erupting if Loki had brought his jackhammer."The guide looked genuinely alarmed at that; Loki would have definitely killed him on the spot with that piercing glare he threw at him. "Thankfully, the jackhammer is now lying at the bottom of Mt. Pinatubo, and that volcano didn't explode too."

 

"You are most helpful, Tom," Loki remarked dryly, climbing into the canoe as the guide shoved them off.

 

The lake was tranquil as they crossed over to the volcano island. No matter what Loki said, Tom mused excitedly, Taal was still quite small and he was looking forward to walking around there. A brief glance at the god behind him, however, revealed that Loki has not dropped his wary stance. In fact, he was eyeing the waters of the lake with vigilance.

 

It did not take long before Loki said in warning, "Tom, if you see anything strange or hear splashes in the water, pay no mind to them. We don't want any attention drawn toward us until we have finished inspecting the island and returned to the barrio."

 

"Okay," Tom chirped cheerfully, feeling the god's eyes boring holes at the back of his head. Loki probably thought that he was not really listening. Actually, he did, but he had no interest in the lake especially with the volcano looming ahead of them.

 

When they arrived, they were met by the people actually living on the island. Loki got them a couple of horses and they rode off, avoiding the paths that were commonly used by hikers. For two to three hours, Tom and Loki explored the island, checking out all 47 craters, maars and cones that riddled the landscape, looking for any signs of a magical portal.

 

"Hey, Tom! Do you think this is a portal?" Loki called out to him at one point. Tom saw that he was peering into something that looked like a hole in the ground.

 

Tom bent down and looked at it curiously. "I don't know. It is man-sized, but I don't see anything shimmering down there like the other portals." Tom paused as he realized something. "Wait. Why are you asking me? You're the one with magic, not me." He never noticed Loki inching away from him as he spoke.

 

Suddenly, gas and steam shot out of the hole, causing Tom to fall on his butt and tumble down the low incline.

  
"A geyser! Very funny, Loki!" Tom yelled at the chortling, weeping figure standing beside his horse.

 

When they could not find anything at ground level, they went up to the summits of Binintiang Malaki—the volcanic cone that Tom was drooling over earlier—Binintiang Munti, and Mt. Tabaro, but there was nothing. They finally climbed to view Taal Main Crater Lake.

 

Tom eyed the solitary islet, known as Vulcan Point, right along the far edge of the lake. "You don't think the portal is on that rock?" he asked dubiously. "Is it even safe to swim to it?"

 

"I don't know," Loki began innocently. "Why don't you take a closer look, Tom?" He then pounded the mortal hard on the back.

 

Off-balanced, Tom momentarily teetered over the edge, his arms whirling like a pinwheel. With a quick swivel of his body, he flung himself into a surprised Loki's arms.

 

"That's not funny, Loki!" Tom said with resentment. "In case you've forgotten, I didn't kick you into Pinatubo's crater."

 

"True, but you didn't do anything to save me either." Tom gasped as Loki tried pushing him over again. This only made him cling tightly to the god, practically grinding his body to Loki's.

 

"Hmm. That feels sooo good," Loki purred contentedly, feeling their groins pressed against each other, and his hands gave those firm buttocks eager squeezes.

 

"Bastos!" Tom said huffily, although not making any move to pull away. Truth be told, he loved the way Loki kneaded his behind.

 

He was a bit disappointed when Loki withdrew. "Come on! It's Mt. Makiling for us."

 

"Why? Aren't we going to check out the lake?"

 

"If there's a portal, it bound to be beneath the lake. You heard what Manong Berting said. It's much too risky."

 

"If that's your decision," Tom put in, shrugging. To him, it seemed like a wasted trip if they didn't at least do a sweep of the lake on the bangka.

 

On their ride back to the barrio, Tom noticed how eerily still the lake had become. There was not even a single ripple on the surface, except for the ones created by the propeller of their boat.

 

There was a sudden splash to his left, and Tom thought he saw a large iridescent tail disappear into the water.

 

"Tom," Loki began in reminder, "whatever you do, don't look into the lake. Do…not…move."

 

"What is it?" There was another splash. This time, Tom could see a dark shadow making its way toward their boat. "Loki, I think there's something under our bangka." Sure enough, he could make out a pale face gazing up at him through large, pearlescent eyes. Unknowingly, he started to lean over to get a better look.

 

**_"TOM, DON'T!"_ **

 

The warning came too late. Scaly arms reached up from the waters. Webbed hands cupped Tom's face and then pulled him down into the lake.

 

 

 **"SHIT!"** _he cursed under his breath as Tom disappeared into the dark waters of Taal Lake._

_Without a second thought, he jumped in after him. Not too far from him, he saw Tom being dragged along by three sirena toward a shimmering opening at the base of Binintiang Malaki._

**_A PORTAL!_ **

****

_Tom also saw the portal below him. Seemingly unmindful of the danger he was in, Tom was gesturing frantically to the portal._

**THAT IDIOT! DOESN'T HE EVEN REALIZE THAT HE'LL DROWN?!**

 

_But what caused his heart to stop was the eerie clangor of voices in the lake._

_"Is it a passage you desire? Here's your doorway. But…it demands a sacrifice."_

_"Yesssss, a sacrifice! **SACRIFICE!** "_

_"Give it blood, give it life!_ **A SACRIFICE!** _"_

_Then, air bubbles spewed out of Tom's mouth, unable as he was to hold his breath any longer. To his horror, the mortal's impending death was actually fueling the portal, making it grow larger._

**_"NO!"_ ** _he cried, his hands pressing over the tattoo of a scaly coil over his belly._

_Freed by the magic of his sire, the Midgard Serpent Jormungand detached himself from the god's body and swam swiftly toward the four figures._

_Siyokoys, hideous male mermen with bulbous fish heads, attempted to stop the serpent with their tridents. He barred their way by freezing the water before them into a wall._

_Reaching Tom at last, Jormungand barreled into the sirenas, so that they let go of their captive. He then wrapped his body around Tom's waist and swam steadily for the surface. As the serpent swam past him, he reached for a flapping fin and allowed himself to be pulled along._

_When they emerged onto the bank, the merpeople attempted to seize them. Furious at their tenacity, Loki unleashed a spell which completely froze the surface of the lake, leaving the merfolk pounding angrily beneath the ice._

_Tom was on his hands and knees, his body heaving as he coughed out water in order to clear his lungs and air passages. Jormungand helped by gently pumping the mortal's belly._

_As he silently watched Tom, he felt his blood run cold at the memory of the merfolk's savage cries for a sacrifice and, more so, how the portal opened eagerly, like the enormous maw of a predator about to devour its prey, when the human was on the verge of drowning._

_Even greater was his shock and disbelief at the first thing that came out of Tom's mouth. "The portal! Loki, the portal! We must get you back down into the lake before it closes…"_

_He felt the sting on his right palm as it connected with Tom's cheek. Stunned at the blow, Tom stared, unbelievingly, at him, his left hand cupping his reddening face._

**"YOU FOOL!"** _At his yell, Tom jerked back. He did not want to see the fear and hurt in those blue gray eyes, but he had no choice. If the mortal stayed any longer with him, he will die, and he won't allow that to happen."I told you not to draw any attention to ourselves! Don't you have a single cautious bone in your body? Damn it! You nearly drowned!"_

_"Loki, I'm sorry!" Tom chewed guiltily on his lower lip. "You're right. I wasn't thinking. All I wanted was to ensure that you get through the portal and make it home."_

**_"But at the risk to your own life?!_ ** _I told you I committed so many sins and crimes in my past. You would add your death to my conscience?"_

_"Loki, I made a mistake! I am truly sorry for making you worry about me. I promise I won't do anything stupid again."_

_"You're damned right about that…because I won't put up with your recklessness and stupidity anymore."_

_He stormed toward Sleipnir. The motorcycle let out a warning rumble, but he chose to ignore it. Hearing Tom coming up behind him, he unstrapped the backpack and the basket and threw them at the startled mortal's feet._

_"Loki, I—"_

_As a final blow, he dipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. Taking out his ATM card, he thrust it into a stunned Tom's hands. "There. Use that to get back home to England. I've magicked it so you could use it in any ATM machine. Get as much cash as you need."_

**_"I DON'T NEED YOUR MONEY!"_ ** _Tom exclaimed, throwing the card back at him._

_He did not move to grab the card or to pick it up from the ground where it had fallen between them. **"THEN WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHY DOES MY GETTING BACK HOME TO ASGARD MATTER SO MUCH TO YOU?"**_

****

_Tom could not speak at first. He just looked back at the god with such heartbreaking sadness on his handsome face. Then, in a very tiny voice that was choked with emotion, he asked, "Isn't it reason enough that I care about you?"_

_He  threw his hands up in the air in surrender. "I'm not listening to this anymore!"_

_He got on his motorcycle. At first, the Honda would not start, despite kickstarting it hard several times._

|We're not happy with what you're doing to Tom, Father,| _Fenrir stated pointblank._

 

 _He let out a growl. He suspected that his children would rebel at some point._ |Well, I don't care about what the both of you think. Whether you like it or not, we…are…leaving!|

 

_Seeing that there was no reasoning with his dam, Sleipnir grudgingly acquiesced. As he rode out of the barrio, he did not glance back at the forlorn figure of the man he was leaving behind._

_He was already a good distance through the highway when he noticed that something was wrong or, to be more precise, missing. Pulling Sleipnir over to the curb, he opened his jacket to gaze down at the tattoo that was no longer around his belly._

_"Where's Jormungand?"_

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

**PART SEVEN**

 

Tom trudged along the side of the road with his bag on his back and his arms wrapped around Oway's basket, unmindful of his surroundings except for the misery inside his heart. In sympathy at his sorry plight following the god's abandonment of him, the heavens chose to dump summer rain upon him to cool him off and to wash away the tears that streamed non-stop down his face.

 

As a result of the heavy downpour, only a few vehicles drove past him. A jeepney filled with a group of women and an old man slowed down for a bit, but when he did not acknowledge their offer for a ride, they continued on their way, although one young woman in the group continued to look back at him, very much concerned.

 

Tom was vacillating between feeling sorry for himself and anger and resentment toward Loki. Yes, he admitted that he had fucked up big time earlier at Taal Lake. But, he did not believe that it warranted being abandoned in such a hurtful manner by the god. The ATM card was specifically insulting, made him feel so cheap. He had buried the card deep inside his bag. He didn't want to look at it, much more use it.

 

Lost as he was in his troubled thoughts, he never noticed that he had gotten off the highway and was walking down a small road. Because of the rain, he did not sense the armed figures that were stalking him through the trees.

 

Before Tom knew what was happening, he was surrounded by men in military fatigues. One man grabbed his arm, pointing an AK-47 right in his face. As they hustled him off deep into the woods, all he could understand from their angry words were "hostage" and "ransom."

 

 _God, are these men Abu Sayyaf?_ Tom thought, terrified. _The bandits that behead their victims?_

 

Tom was shoved into a clearing and was instantly bombarded with demands for money and other valuables.

 

"I…I'm sorry but I don't have any money," Tom stuttered. "Someone stole my wallet days ago. I'm trying to get back to Manila and…"

 

"You American and have no money?" the mustached man who was clearly their leader exclaimed with a mocking laugh. He drove a fist into Tom's belly, causing him to drop to his knees. "You lie! Give us money now!"

 

 ** _"I'M NOT LYING! I really don't have any money, and neither does my family, if you're thinking of holding me for ransom!"_** Tom argued back. **_"Please, sir! I don't have anything that I could give you! Please let me go!"_**

 

The men conferred with their leader, each of them throwing dark glances at their captive.

 

Suddenly, a butt of a gun was driven down on his head and Tom fell on top of a rock, dazed. As his eyes alternately cleared and blurred, he saw the leader pull out a machete.

 

"Since you're useless to us," the leader said grimly, "we take your head right now."

 

 _I'm sorry, Mum, Dad, Sarah, Emma,_ Tom thought in despair as the man raised the large knife. _I wish I could've told you how much I love you one last time._

 

But the killing blow never came.

 

With his head tilted to the side, he saw two men struggling to open his backpack. But then, the backpack bulged out. The flap burst open and a serpent popped out of the bag, its fangs sinking into the throat of one of the men. The other man started firing at the creature, but the snake attacked him next. Through his dimming eyesight, he could almost swear that the serpent was growing larger and longer.

 

Tom vaguely heard the leader above him shout out orders. His commands, however, were drowned out by a loud sound coming from Oway's basket. He saw that the hamper had literally blown up and was now lying in pieces on the ground. Where the basket earlier sat was a band of angry Bontoc warriors with Apo Botlogan standing before them. The old man let out a shrill war cry, and they attacked the bandits in full force.

 

Panicking, the bandit leader raised his machete again. From out of nowhere, the young woman from the jeepney leaped upon him, pounding upon him relentlessly using two rattan sticks.

 

 ** _"TOM!"_** he heard a familiar voice cry out, and the bandits were encased in solid ice.

 

Before Tom lapsed into unconsciousness, the last two things he saw were the serpent swallowing down a bandit, whose legs protruded from his mouth, and Apo Botlogan holding up the leader by his hair, about to cut his head off with the machete.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

The blow to his head must have rattled his brain considerably, causing Tom to vacillate between moments of brief lucidity and painful mindlessness.

 

During those times that he was somewhat alert, he learned that he had been taken to the Casa Hacienda in Cavite, one of the very old houses preserved as historical shrines. The bandits who tried to kill him—apparently they were a breakaway group from the Communist New People's Army—were  dealt with expediently; they were brought to the police. And, no, Jormungand never got to eat one of them and neither did Apo Botlogan get to decapitate the leader because Loki told them to "stop that primitive nonsense." Besides, the bandit would have given Jormungand indigestion and the bandit leader's dried head wouldn't have made a nice decoration on the Bontoc elder's wall anyway.

 

Those times when the headaches turned his mind to mush, he vaguely remembered seeing Loki's face hovering above him. He also recalled shoving the god's face away several times as well, mumbling, "Go away! You never cared about me!"

 

Then, Tom woke up one morning to the sound of footsteps padding over creaking wooden floorboards. He cracked one eye open and found himself lying on a mat on the living room floor and staring at the face of the serpent—yes, if he remembered his Norse mythology correctly, this was Jormungand—who was gazing back at him worriedly. The groan that he was about to utter never came out though, when he saw the old man from the jeepney climb up on the high window sill, clinging precariously to the bars of the window like a monkey.

 

The serpent was equally alarmed. Before Tom could blink, Jormungand slithered up, adjusting his size so that his coils could squeeze in between the bars, and wrapped his coils around the old man so that he would not fall off.

 

Tom too got up, wincing at the pain in his head, and stood up beside him. He saw that the old man's gnarled fingers were trying to fix the Philippine flag hanging from the bars.

 

"Here, let me help you with that," Tom offered, pulling the flag down and securing its wire ties so that it was now straight.

 

"Thank you, son," the old man said, smiling. He even patted Jormungand's head, who gave him a fangy grin. "Bless you too, sweetie."

 

Together, they helped him down from the window sill. As soon as his feet touched the floor, the old man shuffled off, calling out, **_"ROSAMIA, YOUR GUEST IS UP!"_**

****

The young woman who beat up the bandit leader with rattan sticks emerged from a door at the left side of the living room. "Oh, good!" she exclaimed in relief. "For awhile there, we were afraid that blow to your head was more serious than what the doctor claimed. There were fool suggestions going around that you should get a brain transplant, but those were readily dismissed, considering that they came from two people who are exhibiting signs of Alzheimer's."

 

"I still have a bit of a headache, but it's tolerable," Tom answered, feeling the bump at the back of his head.

 

"That's good. I didn't trust Loki at first when he said that he was healing you faster. Glad to see he told the truth." Seeing Tom's curious expression, she explained, "Yes, we know he's a Norse god. My family and I are accustomed to all sorts of weirdness."

 

"Loki…he healed me?" Tom asked, disbelieving.

 

"He sure did!" Rosamia said with absolute certainty. "He was so worried about you. I suppose terrible guilt played a part in it."

 

Tom's hands closed into fists, clenching his blanket. "He should feel guilty. The reason why I got into trouble with those bandits was because he abandoned me."

 

"Well, I don't want you thinking about it too much." Rosamia got down on her haunches and patted his shoulder in reassurance. "My aunt has been giving him a piece of her mind since we brought you to our home, especially when she found out what he did to you. An unholy nagger, my aunt. Only my cousin and I could outnag her. Anyway, Loki went out early this morning—he's been brooding a lot while you were injured—so you'll have some peace and quiet at least." She clapped a hand to her thigh. "Now, let's go have breakfast."

 

Breakfast waited for a bit though until Tom had a much needed bath. When he went to the dining room, waiting for him were paper cone pouches of _Pansit Palabok_ —a delectable noodle dish with shrimp sauce, shrimps, pork bits and pork rinds wrapped in banana leaves—colorful _puto_ or rice cakes, and steaming hot cocoa which Lolo Castor loved to refill for him.

 

"If you're feeling up to it, Tom, you might want to go into town and check out the convent and the church proper of the Parish of Santa Cruz," Auntie Maring suggested to him, just as he was finishing his second pouch of pansit. "A number of major historical events took place there. I'll have Boyet take you there in his tricycle."

 

"I could show Tom around myself…if he wishes."

 

Loki emerged from the kitchen, having just arrived from town. His green eyes were apologetic and wary at the same time. Tom, however, was not in a forgiving mood.

 

Ignoring the dismayed god, Tom stood up from the table. "I'll take you up on your offer, Auntie Chayong. I prefer to look around on my own." He then brushed past Loki and went back into the living room.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

There really was not much to see in the convent, it having been just renovated recently and there being few items on display.

 

Tom, in the end, found himself sitting quietly in church, staring at the antique images of saints behind the altar. He was so angry with Loki and, yet, he was also very worried that he will not be able to return home.

 

"Excuse me, young man," a deep, kind voice interrupted his thoughts, "but it seems something's troubling you. I've been told that I have a patient ear and that I give good advice. Maybe I can help you."

 

Tom looked up at the speaker, and found himself gaping at a bearded African man dressed in the red robes of a bishop. Although, in truth, he desired the privacy more, Tom was charmed by the man's broad, warm smile. They first started with some small talk—about the weather, England, and other mundane topics—before, at last, discussing the matter of the Norse god. Tom knew he probably sounded crazy, talking about Loki, but the bishop listened to him attentively.

 

When Tom had finished pouring his heart out, the bishop paused for a few minutes to think. "I believe your friend has been keeping something from you about that day in the lake. Knowing how these ancient gods were, I wouldn't be surprised if the portals that you are seeking require blood sacrifice for them to work properly."

 

Tom stared aghast at the bishop. "Blood sacrifice…are you telling me that…"

 

"Loki has been protecting you all this time," the bishop nodded in confirmation, "and I believe at great cost to him."

 

Tom groaned. "And I've been treating him so badly!"

 

"It's not as if he hadn't done something wrong himself. If the merfolk of Taal had said something to him, he should've told you what it was and made you decide for yourself what you wanted to do."

 

"Yes, that was my point all along. Loki should've trusted me." Tom gave the bishop a small smile. "I guess this means I should forgive him."

 

There was a mischievous twinkle in the bishop's eyes as he leaned over to him conspiratorially. "Oh, maybe you should make him suffer." He made a small space between his thumb and index finger. "Maybe just a little bit."

 

The two men laughed, their laughter echoing in the empty church.

 

The bishop pressed a small black wooden cross into Tom's hands. "Take this with you, my son. Your journey is already nearing its end. You will definitely need this when facing those final obstacles."

 

"I'm afraid I'm a Presbyterian," Tom confessed in embarrassment. "I wouldn't know how to use this."

 

"Just have faith, Tom. It is your strong faith, optimism and love that your friend is depending on."

 

"Thank you," Tom said gratefully, tucking the cross inside his shirt. "You've been a tremendous help to me. He added sheepishly, "I didn't even think to ask your name."

 

"Just call me 'Tata Osteng', my boy. That's what everyone in the parish calls me."

 

"Salamat po ulit, Tata Osteng!" Tom said in gratitude in his choppy Tagalog. He also bent down and pressed the bishop's right hand to his forehead in the Filipino sign of respect. For his part, Tata Osteng blessed him.

 

With a final goodbye, Tom hurried outside the church. If he had only looked back, he would've seen that the bishop had vanished. At the left side of the church which Tom did not explore were more pews. Behind those rows of benches was a man-sized, airtight, glass case. Back inside that case, now with a miter on his head and the symbols of his Holy Office, was the miraculous image of Saint Augustine of Hippo or Tata Osteng as he was more fondly known.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

When Tom arrived at Casa Hacienda, he was disappointed to learn that Loki was gone. He thought for a moment that the god had left him again, but Rosamia reassured him that Sleipnir, back in motorcycle form, was parked in the gazebo. Overjoyed at seeing him, Jormungand slithered up his leg and wrapped around his body, laying his head lovingly on Tom's right shoulder.

 

That night as they were eating dinner, they heard the strumming of a guitar in the driveway. It was Rosamia who went to the living room to check, only to rush back, squealing excitedly.

 

 ** _"OH…MY…GOD!"_** she exclaimed, jumping at each word. "You must come with me, Tom. I mean **_NOW!_** Loki will be doing the _harana_ for you."

 

"He's…what?"

 

Rosamia grabbed his arm and dragged him along. "Loki's going to serenade you, silly! Now come on!"

 

When they were finally at the front window—with Rosamia removing the Philippine flag so that their view would not be impeded—Tom saw that the Norse god looked absolutely dashing in a beige Barong Tagalog and black pants. Then, Loki began to sing, and Tom felt his heart skip a beat and his breath catch in his throat.

 

 _Irog ko'y pakinggan, awit na mapanglaw_ (Please listen, my love, to my sad song)

 _Na nagbuhat sa isang pusong namamanglaw_ (From a heart that is full of sorrow)

 _Huwag mong ipagkait, awa mo'y ilawit_ (Please, to me do not deny, your mercy let it dangle)

 _Sa abang puso kong naghihirap sa pag-ibig_ (To my poor heart tormented by love)

 

 _Dungawin mo, hirang, ang nanambitan_ (Look outside your window, my love, to me who is singing to you)

 _Kahit sulyap mo man lamang iyong idampulay_ (Even a small glance you send my way is enough)

 _Sapagkat ikaw lamang ang tanging dalanginan_ (For you are the only prayer)

 _Ng puso kong dahil sa 'yo nabubuhay_ (Of my heart that lives solely for you)

 

Tom was mesmerized by the god's magical serenade. Although Loki sang in Tagalog, Tom could hear the words being translated into English inside his mind. His cheeks were burning at that heartfelt display of love and affection.

 

The same could not be said for Rosamia who was doubled over from chortling so hard. "I can't believe he's singing that song and he sounds like Ruben Tagalog too!" Getting to her feet, she heckled the god below, "Loki, you're so old-fashioned! **_BADUY!_** "

 

For his part, Loki jerked his head to the side in a clear indication that she should scram.

 

Fenrir padded over to his sire and sat down at his feet. He then cocked up his head and howled at the moon, prompting Loki to kick him in the hindquarters, sending him yapping and whining away to the garage.

 

Lolo Castor and Auntie Maring approached Tom with grave ceremony. "Young man, here you go."

 

Tom's eyes narrowed at the sight of the covered white _arinola_ or chamber pot. From the pungent odor coming from inside it, he knew it was filled with the old man's urine.

 

"What am I going to do with that?" Tom dumbly asked the two geezers, although he already had a disturbing inkling as to what it was for.

 

Auntie Maring declared, "The tradition of the harana will not be complete if you don't throw this at the serenader."

 

"You have to be joking, right?" But seeing how serious they were, Tom said, "You're NOT kidding me."

 

"Go on take it!" they insisted, so that Tom gingerly took the arinola, grimacing.

 

"Consider it a blessing," Lolo Castor said, a smile quivering at the corners of his lips. "A sign of your true love for him."

 

Tom was reminded of Tata Osteng's advice to him. "Make him suffer. Just a little bit."

 

"Uh, well…"

 

Rosamia helpfully opened the barred grill of the window for him. Smiling sweetly at the god below, Tom shouted, **_"I LOVE YOU, LOKI!"_** and tossed the chamber pot into the air.

 

The arinola found its mark.

 

Before Tom sank down, laughing, to the living room floor with Rosamia and her devilish kin, the last thing he saw was a pee-drenched Loki with the arinola on top of his head.

 

Bursting into multilingual expletives, Loki wailed back, **_"I HATE YOU, TOM HIDDLESTON!"_**

 

 

_An hour and a half later, he emerged at the top of the front stairs of the Casa Hacienda, freshly bathed but still feeling rather irritated. Even from the stairs, he could still hear Tom snickering together with Sleipnir, Fenrir and Jormungand in the garden._

_"Eto! Here you go!" Lolo Castor popped up beside him. "So you will not be bantot!" He said that Tagalog word for 'smelly' with a wrinkle of his nose._

_"And whose bright idea was it in the first place to have Tom dump an arinola full of your stinky pee on my head?" Loki remarked in resentment at the total absence of contrition in Rosamia's grandfather, only to be sprayed by both the old man and Auntie Maring with Aramis perfume. Snorting behind them, trying in vain to contain her giggles, was Rosamia._

**"CUT IT OUT, WILL YOU!"** _Loki cried, waving his hands for them to stop._

_Rosamia put a stop to their deviltry by laying her hands on their shoulders. "Now that's enough of that. There is still something that we need to do, remember?"_

_Whatever that "something" was, Rosamia chose not to say anything more about it, but it remained a matter of curiosity for him._

_Going down the stairs, he headed straight for the garden, walking through the tiled pathway. As he stepped inside the gazebo, his heart stopped at the enchanting sight before him._

_Tom was seated on the balustrade, caressing the graceful neck of Sleipnir, who nuzzled his nose in those soft curls. Jormungand had draped himself lazily over the mortal's shoulders like a shawl, his forked tongue flicking over a pale cheek. Fenrir dozed on the balustrade beside Tom, his furry head laid on the mortal's lap. With his left hand, he scratched behind the wolf's ear._

_|May I have a moment alone with Tom, children?| he requested his offspring, who obediently retreated to the trellis._

_There was a moment's hesitation on his part. Despite Tom's mirth earlier, there was still the fear that the mortal might be angry with him._

_To his surprise, Tom smiled coyly and said, "I've never had anyone serenade me before. Could you sing to me again, Loki? No one will disturb us this time."_

_Nodding, he approached the younger man, took his hands, and eased him to his feet. He then escorted Tom to the center of the gazebo. As he hummed the opening notes of "Dungawin Mo, Hirang", he drew Tom close in a slow dance._

_Tom felt so warm in his embrace; his skin smelled of the summer sun and tangerines. He wanted to pull him even closer, but he dared not make a move. It was Tom who pressed his body to his and laid his chin on his shoulder. As he sobbed on his song, he embraced Tom tightly, not wanting to let him go._

_"I'm very sorry, Tom. I should've told you the truth, how the merfolk revealed to me that I needed a sacrifice to open the portal. Since we met, I was troubled that our meeting may not be a pure coincidence, and my fears turned out to be true. I want to go back home to Asgard, but not at the cost of your life. I…I love you, Tom."_

_"And I love you, Loki," Tom confessed in all honesty. "But I haven't changed my mind about helping you. I don't know what's waiting for us in Mt. Makiling and Mt. Banahaw, but I will be with you in this journey till the very end, even if I have to make the ultimate sacrifice."_

_He hugged the mortal hard and kissed his lips. "I won't sacrifice you, Tom," he said determinedly.  "I would rather be permanently stranded here on Earth."_

_Suddenly, there was a shimmering blue light beside them. Turning to their left, they saw tiny lights rising from the garden, coalescing to form a distinctive tree shape with a large hollow in the middle._

_Rosamia and her family entered the gazebo. She explained, "There used to be a century old tamarind tree here which was the home of a powerful_ kapre _or ogre. A typhoon, however, uprooted the tree and Tata Bagwis had to move elsewhere, but not before giving us a promise—that if we ever grew tired of this mortal world, we could go live with him in the lands of the encantado. I've been there once and there are pathways leading directly to Mt. Makiling."_

_Lolo Castor lighted a cigar and blew a white stream of smoke into the tree's hollow._

_"When you enter the tree, follow the smoke," Auntie Maring advised. "It will guide you through the pathways."_

_"Shall we go, Tom?" he asked, still uncertain._

_But Tom was sure of his decision, his fingers closing around his hand. "I'm right with you, Loki."_

_With a snappy bark, Fenrir leaped through his jacket at his back, while Jormungand coiled around his belly, the two beasts transforming into tattoos again._

_Rather than revert to his motorcycle shape, Sleipnir trotted toward them and stood still as they climbed onto his back, using the balustrade as a step._

_"Thank you, Rosamia, Lolo, and Auntie," he said gratefully. "I've left Tom's things upstairs and some stuff he would need for his return to England. I'm not sure if I'll be coming back with him. If not, please make certain he gets back home safely."_

_"We'll take care of him, Loki. Don't you worry," Rosamia reassured him._

_"Thank you for all your help," Tom told the beaming family._

_"You can thank us by coming back to Cavite in the near future, Tom," Rosamia gave him a sly wink. "I have very big plans of making you an escort during our Santacruzan."_

_Although Tom had no idea what she was talking about, he said, "I promise I'll return."_

_With a click of his tongue, Loki urged Sleipnir toward the tree of light. As soon as they entered the tree's substance, the lights flickered out._

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

**PART EIGHT**

_As they were riding through the encantado pathways heading for Mt. Makiling, he made the decision to be completely honest with the young man behind him. There was no telling what awaited them on the inactive volcano. He wanted to avoid a dangerous situation similar to the Taal merfolk, although he himself could not determine what surprises Maria Makiling could possibly have for them._

_"There is something I must tell you, Tom," he began with great reluctance._

_"What is it?"_

_"Maria Makiling, the encantada of Mt. Makiling… She used to be my lover."_

_Silence fell immediately upon Tom, and he felt the mortal's hold on his waist loosening just slightly._

_"Tom, I don't want to hide anything from you which may lead to danger. I promised myself that I would be honest with you; no secrets, no lies."_

_Tom wrapped his arms around the god's waist again, but not as tight as before. "Go on."_

_"I met Maria during one of my final visits to Midgard. At that time, I could no longer endure the ill treatment that I was receiving from the Asgardians. Just like you, Maria Makiling, must have seen…some good…inside me and took me in. In a way, we loved each other. Maria was a lonely deity, as was I. But my true nature overcame me in the end, and I left her without saying goodbye. She had loved many men before me, but she apparently took my betrayal hard. Maria withdrew into the mountain and no one heard from her again."_

_He was surprised by what Tom said next. "If you had hurt her feelings, it is only but right that you try to make amends with her. But, if this would entail rekindling a relationship with her, mark my words, Loki, I will not give you up."_

_He could not help smiling at that reply. Laying his palm over Tom's hands clasped at his waist, he simply answered, "Thank you, Tom."_

When the pathway emerged onto Mt. Makiling, the two men were greeted by deathly silence. Tom had seen daytime photos of the dormant volcano on the Internet and it seemed like a beautiful place. Makiling at night, however, was an altogether different place. Perhaps it was because of his companionship with the god that he was now attuned to magic. His hairs stood on end at the thrum of magical power coursing through the location. There was also the sensation of someone or something watching them, which gave him the creeps.

 

Tom must have subconsciously squeezed Loki's belly because the god murmured to him, "Be alert, Tom. She knows we're here."

 

A chill shot through his spine when there was an eerie, echoing shout of **_"There they aaaare!"_** coming from the mountain top.

 

"Can you sense the portal, Loki?" he hissed to the god. "Maybe it's just near us and we wouldn't have to go up there."

 

"I can't sense anything…except presences." Loki used the plural, which greatly alarmed Tom. "Whoever it was that shouted, he's still far away from us and…"

 

**_"There they aaaaare!"_ **

****

"Shit! Was that the same voice?" Tom asked. Even Sleipnir had given a jerk. "It's like he came a couple of miles down the slope, but that's impossible. No one could move that fast."

 

**_"There they aaaaaare!"_ **

****

"Damn it, Loki! They're right on top of us!"

 

"Just stay calm, Tom! I won't let any harm befall you!"

 

Tom's eyes flew wide when he saw the ghostly shape of a woman with long black hair covering her face suddenly floating beside the god.

 

 ** _"Here you are!"_** she said, her voice breathy.

 

**_"LOKI!"_ **

****

Suddenly, something large and heavy barreled into them, sending the two men flying from Sleipnir's back. Letting his jacket flutter open, Loki released Fenrir and Jormungand from his body. Jormungand grew to an enormous size, taking a defensive position before his sire and Tom, together with the great wolf. Picking himself up from the ground, Sleipnir joined his siblings.

 

Five towering figures emerged from the darkness, which caused Tom to gasp. They looked like horses standing on their hind legs. Although they possessed the head and lower limbs of a horse, their torsos and arms were that of a human's.

 

" _Tikbalangs_ …" Loki supplied the names of these strange beings between gritted teeth. He conjured up a slim long sword and pressed it into Tom's hand. "Here. Use this to protect yourself. Don't hesitate, Tom. They mean to kill us, so don't give them quarter."

 

Before Tom could make sense of the weapon in his hand, the tikbalangs charged at them. Loki's children met the creatures' attacks with fangs and hooves. Fenrir leaped high and sank his teeth into a tikbalang's arm; he was aiming for his throat, but the beast lifted his arm up in time. Jormungand wrapped his body around another tikbalang and crushed it within his coils. Loki held back another tikbalang using his ice sword. Sleipnir stood before Tom, his hooves flailing at the two tikbalangs that were determined to get close to the mortal. When one attempted to sneak past him, Sleipnir sent him flying through the trees with one mighty bump of his body. He cracked the skull of the second tikbalang with his hoof.

 

 ** _"Maria, I never knew you'd become such a coward!"_** Loki taunted the encantada whom he knew was lurking in the shadows. **_"Why don't you come forth and face me? It's me you want, isn't it?"_**

****

"No, not you, Loki," a calm voice responded to him. "The one I'm after is he who has taken my place inside your heart."

 

Tom barely had time to lift his sword when Maria Makiling appeared from out of nowhere, the kris in her hand clashing with the mortal's blade.

 

As their swords locked, Maria told the fighting Norse god behind her, "It seems I'm not the only one you left broken-hearted. Princess Urduja left her kris to me before she departed to the world beyond in the event that I should see you again. I promised her that I would kill you. But, no, killing your lover would be the best punishment for you."

 

**_"TOM! HOLD ON! I'M COMING!"_ **

****

Tom, however, held his ground. There was a sharp glint in his eyes as he glared at the encantada before him. "If you think that I'm just some helpless mortal, you're wrong."

 

With a grunt, Tom shoved the startled encantada back. He assumed a fighting stance with his sword. "Madam, I happen to have a BASSC certificate in Stage Combat, but I suppose I don't need to hold back when I fight against you now, do I?"

 

A wicked grin went up the corners of Maria Makiling's lips. "Good then. I never liked easy prey."

 

With a fierce cry, she lunged at Tom again with her sword. True to his word, Tom fought back with the skills he had developed and honed while training at the British Academy of Stage & Screen Combat. He took the course, believing that it would aid him in his professional acting career; never did he imagine that he would use these same skills against an insanely jealous encantada. There was a look of grim satisfaction on his face, seeing Maria's growing frustration at her inability to bring down the mortal. At the same time, he could not help but feel sorry for her. The pain reflected in her dark eyes was evidence enough of the deep love she felt for the Norse god. If it were at all possible, he would rather make her surrender than have her fall to his sword.

 

Tom never saw the root of a tree arching up from the ground. As his heel hit it, he lost his balance and fell backward against the tree, leaving him open and vulnerable to the furious encantada.

 

"Now… ** _DIE!_** " Maria Makiling roared as she lifted the kris high in her right hand, ready to thrust it into his body.

 

As she brought her sword down, its blade cut through flesh, but it was not Tom's. Tom's eyes widened in horror, seeing Loki standing between him and the encantada, the blade of her kris piercing his chest through and through. The tip of the kris even nicked the skin at his sternum.

 

 ** _"LOKI!"_** Tom cried as he took the god in his arms.

 

Maria gazed down at the two figures before her with a hint of sorrow on her face. "It looks like Loki has exhausted his magic. He is but a mere mortal now."

 

 ** _"No, he's not going to die!"_** Tom said stubbornly. **_"Loki, don't you dare give up on me! Tell me what I must do!"_**

 

"It's over, human. Surrender him to me now. Only I could save him now."

 

Tom let out a wry laugh. "So that you could keep him to yourself as your prisoner? **_NEVER!_** " Reaching inside his shirt, Tom pulled out the black cross that Tata Osteng had given him and raised it before the encantada. As he did so, the cross grew bigger until its vertical beam was the same length as his torso. **_"IN GOD'S NAME, STAY AWAY FROM US, YOU WITCH!"_**

 

As soon as these words escaped his lips, a warm, bright light fell upon them, causing Maria Makiling to jerk back and lift her arm to shield her eyes from the glare. When the light vanished, Tom, Loki and Loki's children had disappeared along with it.

 

Maria Makiling let her sword drop to the ground. A proud, happy smile formed on her lips as she gazed at Mt. Banahaw in the distance.

 

"You've passed the test, Loki, my former love," Maria whispered. "Cherish the gift that this wonderful mortal had given you."

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Tom did not have to guess where the strange light had taken them—the summit of Mt. Banahaw. Shimmering before them was a bright blue portal.

 

Pressing the cross to his breast, Tom told the presence he could sense on the mount, "I am here to offer my life in exchange for Loki's healing as well as his passage through the portal. Please, whoever you are. I'm begging you. Heal him and allow him to go home."

 

A gentle, echoing male voice answered him, "There is no need to take your life, brave Thomas. A sacrifice has already been made. By sacrificing his own life to save yours, Loki has proven himself worthy to return home to the realm of the lesser gods."

 

Tears of joy fell from Tom's eyes, seeing that not only was Loki healed, he was now dressed in the green and gold raiment of an Asgardian.

 

As Tom helped him to stand, Loki said in heartfelt gratitude, "Thank you so much, Tom. You're the only one who has ever stood by me. I will never forget you."

 

"And I you." Tom turned to the portal once more. "If I may ask…the lesser gods…are they all well? Not just the ones who helped us?"

 

"While they have their own place, they no longer possess the powers they once held. As a result, their lifespan, much like you mortals, has become relatively short."

 

"Because humanity has forgotten them and stopped giving them the worship that they craved?"

 

"Right from the beginning, there has always been only One True God. The lesser gods served a purpose, but humanity has not learned from their example or from their mistakes. They are failed guardians. Because of this, they shall die pining for what they once had and what could have been."

 

"What if I made mankind remember those times when the lesser gods ruled over them?" Tom hastily added, "No, I am not saying that humans would shift their worship from you back to them. I was thinking maybe I could ignite their interest in the ancient past, the stories of these gods and what they did, and the lessons needed to be learned from them. Would it help the lesser gods?"

 

There was a moment's silence. "Perhaps it would, perhaps it would not," was the cryptic reply.

 

"What is going through your mind, Tom?" Loki asked in incredulity. "Do you even realize **_who_** you're speaking with?"

 

Tom, however, gave Loki a mysterious smile. "Go back home to Asgard, Loki. I give you my solemn oath that I will do everything I can for you and the other gods here on Earth."

 

"But Tom, I…" Whatever else Loki was going to say was silenced by Tom's lips upon his mouth.

 

"Don't you ever dare forget about me, Loki," Tom breathed hoarsely as he broke the kiss. "Because I definitely won't forget about you."

 

Loki grasped the back of the mortal's head and kissed him just as passionately. "I'll never forget you, Tom. Wherever our place is, I'll be watching over you."

 

"Farewell, dearest friends," Tom told Loki's children. "Take care of your father for me."

 

Sleipnir, Jormungand and Fenrir went over to Tom and let themselves be enfolded in warm hugs.

 

Tom waved them off to the portal. "Now go on home. I'm sure everyone's waiting for you on the other side."

 

Loki's three children went ahead of their sire, vanishing into the portal. Before Loki finally stepped through, he gave Tom one last look.

 

"I love you, Tom. Always and forever," Loki declared, and he went through the portal, which at last winked out of existence.

 

"And I love you too, Loki," Tom whispered, knowing full well that the god could still hear him. "Always and forever."

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

**PART NINE**

 

**_Eight years later…_ **

 

"Rosamia, would you mind explaining to me again why I will be riding in my own horse-drawn carriage? I'm supposed to be Constantine, right? So I should be escorting Reina Elena."

 

Tom was sitting before a mirror while a makeup artist applied foundation and blush to his face. It had taken him quite some time to find an opening in his busy schedule in order to come back to the Philippines and fulfill his promise to Rosamia and her family about participating in the May Festival known as the Santacruzan.

 

Rosamia shrugged. "Traditionally, Constantino should be a little boy escorting his mother Queen Helena. But, since I am the Hermana Mayor, aka the Head Honcho, of this particular Santacruzan, no one has the right to question or complain about my decisions, and that includes you."

 

"I'm not really complaining, but I admit to being a trifle embarrassed. I've never done anything like this before."

 

"Tom, you've faced thousands of fans in your line of work. This is not so different, except that there are fewer people here in Cavite. Besides…" She gave him a wink. "Isn't this better than being in boring Tahiti getting a tan?"

 

"Well, I couldn't argue with that," Tom said grinning. He turned pale though when Rosamia presented to him with a gold coronet inlaid with emeralds and sapphires. "Please tell me those jewels are fake."

 

"Actually, no. These are real gems and the coronet itself is made of pure gold. A gift to you from a most generous admirer."

 

"But I can't accept this!"

 

"Oh, just shut up, Tom!" Rosamia declared in exasperation, placing the coronet on his head.

 

 When the makeup artist was finally done, Tom stood up and faced his dear friend. "How do I look?"

 

 ** _"ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!"_** Rosamia gushed, giving him two thumbs up.

 

Indeed, Tom cut a very impressive figure. He was dressed in a traditional Barong Tagalog, except that the barong that he was wearing was not the usual cream color but pure white with lavish silver embroidery and lacework in the front. Because of the translucency of the piña fabric, Tom wore a white long-sleeved cotton shirt underneath. Sleek black pants accentuated his long legs. On his feet, he wore his favorite black leather shoes with shoelaces.

 

"You should not have made him wear pure white, Rosamia," Lolo Castor giggled. "He looks like a virgin you're going to be serving up to some nasty, perverted god."

 

"Lolo, you know that this tasty dish could only be served up to one god," Rosamia remarked dryly.

 

Tom frowned at their curious comments. Noting the expression on his face, Rosamia said, "Wherever Loki is, I'm sure he's very proud of what you've been doing for him. You are truly unbelievable, Tom. How did you manage to make his comic book counterpart so likeable? My goodness! I used to hate the Marvel comic version because he looked so old and evil. Yet, you turned things around and made him into someone people could understand and sympathize with."

 

"It certainly helped that I knew Loki personally," Tom admitted. "At first, I tried out for the role of his brother because my mentor told me to. When I didn't get the part and they told me that I would be playing Loki, I thought it was the best gift ever, because it allowed me to fulfill my promise to him."

 

Auntie Maring went forward and fastened the sword belt around his waist. Sheathed in the scabbard was the sword that Loki had given him in his fight against Maria Makiling. "Shall we go?" she urged them. "The carriage is waiting."

 

They then went through the living room and out the front door, slowly going down the staircase.

 

"What do you think, Rosamia?" Tom asked the young woman walking beside him. "Do you think Loki's alright wherever he is? Do you think I did well in keeping my promise to him?"

 

Rosamia heaved a sigh and smiled. "Why don't you ask him that yourself?"

 

Tom whirled toward the flower-bedecked carriage waiting in the driveway. He could not help the gasp that escaped his lips, seeing Sleipnir harnessed to the carriage, whickering happily when he saw him. Loki himself was resplendent in a shimmering green Barong Tagalog with gold trimmings. Standing opposite him was Fenrir, whose head was cocked up proudly.

 

"That coronet looks good on you, Tom," the god said, smiling. "Father told me to find a suitable gift for you from Asgard's treasury."

 

Tom turned red in the face. "Loki, you shouldn't have. This is too much."

 

"After everything that you did for us, for me, this isn't reward enough." Loki gallantly bowed to Tom. "Shall we go, Beloved Emperor of My Heart?"

 

Tom was completely at a loss for words. When his tongue failed him, he threw his arms around Loki's neck and gave him a desperate, yearning kiss. For his part, Loki returned the kiss with equal fervor, reaching down and cupping that tight ass as he did so.

 

"What did I tell you?" Lolo Castor whispered to his granddaughter, nudging her side with his elbow. "A pervy god."

 

Loki took Tom's hand to help him into the carriage, but Jormungand slithered forward, so that the mortal could step on him. He arched his back upward, enabling Tom to get into the carriage easily. As Loki stepped inside and sat beside Tom, the wolf and the serpent settled in the seat opposite them. Rearing up once and neighing proudly, Sleipnir cantered out the gates, pulling the carriage behind, and into the town streets.

 

Tom's jaw dropped at the sight of the Asgardians clad in gleaming armor marching on either side of their carriage. Waving to them from the rooftop of one of the old Spanish houses were Odin, Frigga and Balder. Idunn threw a golden apple, which Loki caught in his hands and laid on Tom's lap.

 

Tears filled Tom's eyes seeing the lesser gods who were their friends lined up on both sides of the street. Apo Botlogan, Oway and the Bontoc headhunters waved their spears and gave them raucous cheers. With them, smiling their approval, were Apo Namalyari and the Aeta Lava People. One Aeta had a little girl with her—the baby whom Tom had saved—who waved shyly at him. The Filipino soldiers from the Death March fired their guns in the air in a salute. Even Maria Makiling was in the company of the Philippines' legendary princesses and encantada. She ran toward the carriage and placed a lei of sampaguitas around Tom's neck and gave him a sweet peck on the cheek.

 

Arriving at the intersection where they were to join the procession, which was already in progress, they were met by Tata Osteng.

 

"This time, I think it should be Emperor Constantine carrying Christ's cross," the kindly saint said, handing Tom the sacred black cross of the parish. Winking at the god, Tata Osteng reminded him, "Isn't there something you're going to ask Tom here?"

 

As their carriage rolled into place in the procession after the float of Reina Elena and the marching band that was playing "Dios Te Salve", Loki asked his question, at the same time, producing a small box which he opened before the stunned mortal.

 

Overhead, Loki's brother—the God of Thunder—watched happily as Tom gave his answer in the form of an exuberant hug and a deep, ardent kiss. Thor lifted his hammer to the evening sky, lighting it up with forks of lightning brighter than the fireworks popping in its dark face.

 

"You did well, Brother. You and your lover," Thor murmured with great pride. "It is because of you that we shall live forever in the minds and hearts of mankind. May the One True God bless you both. Always."

**Author's Note:**

> The song that Loki sang to Tom during the serenade/harana is the Filipino kundiman/love song "Dungawin Mo, Hirang." If you're curious to know how Loki sounded, just check out the link to the song itself by Ruben Tagalog here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzpjD3QES_c


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